the fifteenth member
by Ali Yvette
Summary: A new breed of Nobody has appeared, in the form of Sirix, a young eighteen year old with one difference to the other members of the Organization. She has a heart.
1. A new member is awakened

**Note from the author**_**: the main character in this story is not merely an embodiment of myself interpreted in this tale, more rather a character that I thought would be an epic person and, while she does bare some similar traits to myself, she is not based on me. Just wanted to make that known.**_

_I was floating in nothingness, like a piece of drift wood on a calm sea. It was odd, like I was nothing and no one. Where was I? Was I asleep? I'm sure I wasn't dead. Perhaps unconscious? It made no sense. My heart was beating in my chest, a soft, rhythmic thud. I couldn't be dead. I had a heartbeat after all. It must be a dream. Maybe I was in a coma. Had there been an accident? Perhaps I had died and this was simply my mind convincing me otherwise. Maybe I didn't exist at all, but how could that be possible? Nope, I was definitely in existence. _

"What do you think she is superior?" A cold, even voice broke through my thoughts. The empty feeling faded away, leaving me feeling the weight of my body. I felt cold metal under my back and I became aware of a bright light shining on my eyelids. A cold feeling spread over my body and I could feel the movement of other people around me. I didn't know what was happening around me. I couldn't open my eyes. I tried to move and felt a spasm of pain sear through my body like wild fire. It wasn't enough to cause me to move. I heard a sudden instant beeping of machines and a high pitched ringing filled my ears. I wanted it to shut up, to leave me alone and let me go back to that eerie space of nothingness. The noise grew louder and louder, and seemingly more urgent.

"What's going on?" A new voice, amidst the beeping machines and concerned voices of the lab broke through my thoughts. I wished the noise would stop; it was causing my head to ache.

"The machines are going hay wire. The readings are high on the scale; it's like nothing I've ever seen before. This is the most activity that we've seen since she appeared near The Old Mansion outside Twilight Town." It was that voice again, the cold, slightly intriguing one. I tried to tell them to stop the beeping, but I couldn't speak. There was a pressure build up in my head, like the machines were going higher and higher tones. I felt like if it didn't stop than I would split in two. Just as the pressure became too much I let out a scream, high pitched and blood curdling.

Running footsteps, voices, groaning, exclamations, and the sound of fizzled electrical wires. No beeping machines.

"What the hell was that?" A voice demanded, rather annoyed and seemingly astonished. I opened my eyes slowly to see a group of men surrounding me. I stared at them, trying to figure out what was happening. I suddenly noticed why I was feeling so cold. I was wearing no clothing to speak of. Just as I realised this, I think someone else did too. A boy of about thirteen years, with spiky blonde hair and blue eyes turned to the guy in the lab coat.

"Vexen, give me your cloak." He said, trying to avert his gaze from my body. I was grateful for his politeness. The man named Vexen stared at him.

"Why should I?" He challenged. The blonde boy stared at him.

"So that she isn't quite so exposed." He said calmly. A guy with flame red hair spoke up, rolling his eyes.

"You know Vexen, for someone who is supposed to be a scientist you sure are stupid sometimes." Vexen glared at him but removed his Lab coat begrudgingly, handing it to the blonde boy. He took it with a thankful smile, ignoring the glare from the scientist.

"Here, so you don't feel too weirded out. I'm Roxas by the way." He said handing me the coat with a smile. I took it and wrapped it around my body tightly, thankful for the length. I was only short after all, so it meant I had more room to cover my body. I stared at them all, still not being able to find my voice. A tall man with silver hair and golden eyes approached from behind the group of men.

"Welcome to The World That Never Was. I'm Xemnas, number I. You will be known as Sirix, Organization member XV." I stared in awe at the tall man. He smiled down at me, an awkward smile but a smile all the same.

"Number XV Superior?" How can she be number fifteen if we lack XIV?" A guy with blue hair and a large 'x' shaped scar on his forehead spoke up. I looked at him, slightly terrified. Who were all these people? Why was I here? And why was I currently naked? Conversation erupted around me and I clasped my hands over my ears, trying to block out the noise. It was getting too loud. I was glad the machines weren't starting up again. Come to think of it, I was sure that Vexen was muttering something about the devices to himself amidst the noise. The noise level grew louder and I found myself whispering for them to stop it. My voice gradually grew louder and louder until I could be heard above the din.

"JUST STOP IT! Please." I said, trailing off again as everyone stared at me. I bit my lip. "You're awfully loud." I said simply, to stop their accusing looks. Xemnas raised his eyebrows at me and nodded.

"We'll let you rest. You need to recover more before we take you on the tour of the castle and start training you for missions." At his words everyone turned and left, making their different tracks. I watched them leave, not sure whether to be relieved that they were all leaving or panicked that they were leaving me in a creepy lab with a surly looking scientist. I shivered. It was freezing in the lab. I didn't know where exactly we were in the castle but I was guessing somewhere in the lower levels. My own thoughts made me jump. How did I know we were in a castle? They hadn't mentioned anything about where we were while they were all in here. It startled me. Vexen stood in the corner, trying to fix his dying machines.

"Was it really necessary to completely destroy my monitors?" He asked me. I smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry." I said. He let out a huff of air and kept working. I bit my lip and decided to try and sleep. I had to recover so I could get out of this place. Who were these people? What missions were they referring to? And why the hell was I STILL not wearing any clothes! I hugged Vexen's coat closer around me and looked around me. I was expected to just get comfortable and rest in some cold, creepy lab? Without so much as a single stitch of my own clothing? How the hell did they expect me to do that? I sighed to myself. This could be a very difficult situation that I found myself in.

**A month later...**

"What? NOO... Not fair Axel! That was my favourite cookie!" Demyx wailed. Zexion rolled his eyes.

"Now you've done it Axel. Now he'll be all upset and you know how his mood swings affect his power and ability to wield his weapon. Now he'll be all but useless for a mission. And then Xemnas will get all pissed off and take it out on all of us. Nice going." He said. I laughed involuntarily. It was rather funny. Axel looked at me strangely so I shut up, blushing. My hair hung down over my face like a black and white curtain to shield me from my embarrassment. I felt my skin go hot and hid my face in my hands. It was so embarrassing. I was shy around new people. For the past month I'd spent most of my time in the lab for various tests.

I don't think I've ever known so many people personally before. I barely remember my life before I woke up here. I know that I was attacked by some monster and then I was falling through the nothingness. It was the last thing I remember.

"Are you okay Sirix?" I looked over to see Roxas. I smiled at him and nodded, hoping the scarlet colour to my cheeks had paled.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" He shrugged.

"I don't know. You just looked kind of down. Hey, I um was wondering if you... ah... wanted to... uh..." I looked at him, confused at what he was trying to say. _Waaaiitt... is he blushing? Oh my god he is!_ I placed a hand on his shoulder to urge him on and he blushed deeper.

"Duuudddee... Roxas is about to ask Sirix on a date." I heard Xigbar whisper loudly to Zexion. The slate haired boy scoffed.

"As if I _actually_ care." His voice didn't betray him. Lexaeus noted that he tightened his grip on the book he was reading though. Everyone seemed to have heard Xigbar, and were now looking very intently at me and Roxas. He went even redder, if that were possible, and stammered momentarily before just getting up and leaving.

"Never mind." I stared after him, my hand losing its hold on his shoulder. I reached out for him before withdrawing my hand slowly. I had a bad feeling that I had hurt his feelings without even meaning too. Everyone stared at me, making me extremely nervous. Xigbar shrugged.

"Guess he lost his nerve." My anger seethed at his stupidity. Suddenly I couldn't contain it.

"JUST SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU! YOU KNOW NOTHING!" I screamed. I couldn't take it anymore. They all stared at me as if I'd lost my sanity, and I probably had, but I didn't care about that right now. I just had to find Roxas and make sure he was okay. I ran out of the room and tried to find him. I knew he had turned left out the door so I headed in that direction... and ran straight into Xemnas.

"Oh, sorry Superior." I muttered hastily. He steadied me quickly.

"Oh hello XV, you're the second person to almost run me over in the last three minutes. Where is everyone headed in such a hurry?"

"I'm looking for Roxas, have you seen him?" I asked, looking around the castle for any sign of the blonde boy.

"Indeed. I saw him only moments ago when he decided to trample over me in a state of utter emotional turmoil. Intriguing that he could be in such a state might I add?"

"Which way did he go?" I asked. Xemnas pointed to the east.

"I believe he was headed for Twilight Town. If you hurry you might catch him before he reaches the castle boundaries." I smiled gratefully and dashed off in the direction he was pointing. I realised that there was no way I could catch up to him just by running. I had to create a portal. I'd only ever done a few successful portals and I hadn't quite got the technique down pat yet but I had to risk it. I formed a portal, my jaw set and body tense as I focused on drawing energy to create it. I ran through and out the other side, where I saw Roxas not far off. I ran out and tripped on a stone.

"ROX- Argh!" I ended his name in a scream that gave him a split seconds warning to turn around before I landed on top of him.

"Oh shoot I'm so sorry." I apologised. I was incredibly close to him. We were roughly the same height and my face was directly above his, barely an inch apart.

"Oh, hi Sirix." He said. I smiled.

_Xaldin leaned back in the window seat, looking out over the trees that formed a boundary around the castle. He heard a commotion faintly through the glass and looked down at the courtyard to see Sirix trip out of the portal and land on Roxas. _

"_Uh guys, you should come see this. Shit's going down out there." Intrigued by the prospect of what he might mean by that statement, Zexion, Larxene, Axel and Xigbar all moved to get a better look. When they saw what he meant they let out a loud commotion of cheers for Roxas, the loudest of all being Axel. _

"_I knew it! The boy finally learnt how to score!" He joked with a grin. He glanced at Zexion and noticed that he didn't look pleased, or even bored like he always did, more... pissed." Hey Zexion, you okay man? You look kind of... well pissed." Zexion stared at him._

"_I'm absolutely fine. You're all acting stupid. I'm glad that he is with her, they deserve each other. I couldn't be happier. I'm just as happy as a bird." He said, not meaning to go quite so over the top or sound sarcastic. He walked out of the room, trying to keep calm. _

"_Yep, he's pissed." Axel confirmed with a devious smile. 'And I'm going to find out why."_

"Umm do you think that maybe you could get up now? This gravel is kind of painful." Roxas asked me. I blushed.

"Oh, sorry. Here." I stood up hastily and gave him a hand up. We stood awkwardly for a moment before I decided that enough was enough.

"What were you going to ask me earlier? Before everyone started to act like total idiots?" I asked. He shrugged and turned away.

"It's not important. Just a stupid thought. It doesn't matter anymore." He said, looking up at Kingdom Hearts. I felt so bad for him. He had it tough as the youngest of the organization, before I came along that is.

"It is important Roxas. You need to be able to say the things you want to." I said, turning him to face me. "And to be able to express the way you feel without words." I added softly, looking him into his Celtic blue eyes. Those eyes widened with realization and amazement as he realised how close I was to him.

"What do you mean?" He whispered. I smiled and leaned close, gently pressed my lips to his. It was a light kiss, yet enough to affect him. I smiled at him and turned away.

"Come find me when you have the courage." I said with a wave and left him standing in the courtyard, a hand pressed to his lips.

_A cheer erupted from the room above the library, accompanied by chants of 'she kissed him!" Zexion growled in frustration and slammed his fist against the nearest bookcase. _

"_Fuck it!" He snapped. The impact of his punch sent the bookcases toppling one after the other to leave him surrounded by books. _

"_You know just because you missed breakfast doesn't mean you have to destroy the entire library." Zexion jumped at the sound of Vexen's voice. _

"_It isn't about breakfast. And I don't need it anyway." He said, anger still coursing through his body like hot lava. Vexen raised a single eyebrow, closing the book he was holding on the topic of gene-splicing. _

"_Then what is it about?" He asked despite the fact that he already had a very good idea. It was easy for him to read Zexion's expressions._

"_It's the new member. She's insufferable, and immature, and annoying and irritating and and anything else that means absolutely unbearable." He said, clenching his fists angrily._

"_You forgot the part where you find her intriguingly attractive." Vexen said knowingly. Zexion glared at him. _

"_I do not!"He couldn't hide the hot flush rising in his cheeks, but he tried. Vexen smiled, raising his eyebrow again and stepping over the fallen bookshelves towards the door._

"_I'll pretend like I believe that." He said, walking out the door. He turned back. "Oh and try not to get too jealous Zexion. We can't have you being affected badly so you can't fight." He said. Zexion growled and picked up a book, pegging it at Vexen's head. The scientist dodged with ease, just as Roxas came walking down the corridor, still in a slight daze from when Sirix had kissed him. The book flew past Vexen's head and hit Roxas, narrowly missing his temple. The impact caused him to collapse on the ground, just as Axel teleported into the corridor._

"_Hey kid, are you alright?" He asked, kneeling beside the collapsed boy. Roxas just gazed up at him._

"_A book just flew from another dimension and assaulted me in the back of ." He said in an amazed sort of voice._

I wandered around the castle, thinking things over. Had I really just kissed Roxas? Why the hell had I done that? He was my best friend. People don't do that sort of thing with their best friend. At least, not that I can recall. I was so confused. It was stupid. I shouldn't have kissed him, but I couldn't take it back now it was done. As I pondered this I realised I had managed to make my way to the hallway that housed Zexion's room. I bit my lip. What should I do? He didn't know I was here, I could just walk onwards to where my room was and he'd never know the difference. But still, I wanted to talk to him. It seemed he despised me. I had to find out why. I hardened my resolve and walked to the door that had VI inscribed on it. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door lightly. No one answered immediately but I figured he was probably doing something so I waited a few moments. _Maybe I didn't knock loud enough_. I raised my fist to knock again when the door opened and Zexion stood in the gap it left. He wore his normal leather attire but the cloak wasn't done up, which made me think that he had thrown it on in a hurry. His hair was dishevelled and wet, his skin glistened slightly with small particles of water. It took me a moment to notice that he was looking at me as if he wished I'd just go away.

"I was going to knock again, I wasn't sure if you heard me."I said softly, to break the silence that had fallen over us. _Wow, he is so... wow. I could just kiss him. No, no that won't do. He hates you, remember?_ I shook my head slightly to clear my thoughts.

"I heard you the first time. I was in the shower." Why did he seem less than pleased to see me? It wasn't exactly like I had walked in on him doing something that should be incredibly awkward. Images of what he could have been doing other than showering threatened to surface in my mind and I forced them back. I didn't want to think of him that way. It was awful. I had enough problems as it was, like it having been a month and I still hadn't discovered my element or weapon yet. _And the things with Roxas._

"Oh, well umm, I uh..." I started before knowing what I was going to say and ended up stammering for something to say.

"If you're just going to stand there stammering like an idiot would you mind leaving me in peace?" His tone was laced with a cold edge and I was brought back to the reason that I had knocked on his door in the first place.

"Why do you hate me?" I blurted out. He looked bewildered and extremely angry.

"Hatred is an emotion, something which I am lacking, as I do not possess a heart, therefore I cannot hate you." He said matter of factly, yet angrily. I folded my arms across my chest.

"Well for someone who has no emotions you sure are acting pretty angry.' She said. I could tell that he was trying to keep his face expressionless. He clenched his fists and grit his teeth furiously.

"I'M NOT- I'm not angry." He said, calming himself down. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Uh huh... right... 'cause I totally believe that." I said and pushed past him into his room. I looked all around the room, lined with books on shelves, it gave off a feeling of comfort and warmth. I smiled and walked over to his bed.

"What are you doing?" Zexion demanded, following me in. I smiled again, sitting down on the side of his bed and pulling my boots off.

"Relaxing. You have a nice place here. You don't mind if I crash here do you?" I asked, still smiling. It had become easy to be myself around these people, especially Zexion. I enjoyed giving him a hard time, it was so fun to watch him squirm. And he looked so hot dressed the way he was. I felt an urge to kiss him and fought it back. _No, I just kissed Roxas only moments earlier, I don't want to be treated like a whore._ I settled for smiling deviously.

"NO!" He said. I beamed at him.

"Great! I'll be back in a minute." I said, jumping up and pulling my boots back on.

"Now where are you going?" He demanded. He looked puzzled. I laughed.

"To get my stuff obviously."

"You are not moving in here." He said angrily and walked into his bathroom. I sat back down on his bed and waited patiently for him to return. I heard a muffled yell and then the sound of splintering glass. After a few moments Zexion emerged, his hand and knuckles bleeding.

"What the hell did you do? You're bleeding!" I exclaimed. He shrugged.

"It's nothing. I just smashed a mirror is all." He said, casually, as if it was an every day thing, which it probably was.

"Nothing! You're dripping blood all over the carpet! How is that nothing?" It is far from nothing!" I crawled off the bed and was at his side in three strides, grabbing his hand and examining it closely. He pulled it away.

"Stop that! You're hurting me!" He complained. I raised an eyebrow at him and grabbed his hand again.

"Well let me heal you. I am more capable of tending to your wounds than anyone else is." I said, matter of factly. He moved back from me, out of my reach.

"Don't touch me. I don't want anything to do with someone who would use a friend to get to the one she really wants." His words sliced through me like a blade. How could I have been so stupid to think that i could have any chance with him. He was cold, awful, and, though amazingly perfect to me, a jerk. I let go of his hand and took a few steps back to sit on the edge of the bed, shocked and hurt.

"Is- is that what you really think I am? Someone who uses her friends to get to you? I didn't mean to kiss Roxas. It was heat of the moment. It didn't mean anything." I asked, tears threatening to spill. Zexion looked horrified for a moment, like he hadn't meant to say what he had. Then his passive expression was back.

"It did to Roxas." He replied, his tone quiet. I felt sick. I may have just ruined everything with not one, but two people who I would be seeing a hell of a lot of. I tried to stop the tears from falling but they fell anyway, streaming down my face in soft glistening droplets. I wiped them away but they wouldn't stop. Zexion moved over to me and sat beside me, awkwardly.

"Listen, Sirix, I shouldn't have said that. It was harsh and cruel. I'm so sorry. Please don't cry." He said quietly. He seemed genuinely sorry. I couldn't look at him, i felt like someone had taken my heart and torn it in two. I felt so... empty. I didn't reply, I couldn't. I was focusing on controlling my tears. Zexion sighed and gently brushed away one of my tears with a cut finger. I didn't move. My shoulders heaved gently with my silent sobs but other than that I made no move to do anything.

"Look at me Sirix. You have to stop crying right this instant." He said, taking my face in his hands gently, yet still forcibly and making me look at him.

"Says who?" I demanded with a weak smile. It was a start to a better mood. He let slip a small smile of his own before stopping himself.

"Says me. Because you're annoying enough as it is. I don't want people to be accusing me of making you upset too." He said. I frowned again, slapped him... hard.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" He demanded. I glared at him.

"Oh I wonder." I reply sarcastically. He glared at me. I glared back and stood up.

"Whatever Zexion. You're enough to drive a girl to insanity." I snapped, walking towards the door. He stared at me, a hand placed on his cheek, holding where I had slapped him.

"Wait, so now you're leaving, when you wouldn't leave when i actually wanted you to?" He asked, following me. I turned around.

"So you want me to stay? Well that's an intriguing little tidbit of information." I replied, smiling. He looked alarmed.

"No of course not, I didn't say that! I want you-" He was cut off by Axel entering his room.

"Oh, Uh was I interrupting? I have a message from the superior. He wants to see you both in his study ASAP." He said. He seemed to only notice just then that we were incredibly close to each other. "Is there something going on here that I don't know about?" He asked, looking from me to Zexion. I could have sworn for a moment there that Zexion blushed. It must have just been my imagination, because he shook his head and stared at Axel if he were insane.

"I think the heat's getting to you Axel. You're becoming delusional again." I felt a small pang of sadness hit me but ignored it. Axel smirked and turned away.

'And you've been spendin' too much time in seclusion, you've forgotten how to hide your true feelings." He replied, walking away. I looked at Zexion.

"What did he mean by that?" I asked, confused. He shook his head.

"Ignore him. He's prattling again." Zexion replied. I shrugged, ignoring their inside argument. It was none of my business in any case.

"Well I suppose we had better go see what the superior wants." I said and walked away, down the hallway.

"I want you to accompany Sirix on her first mission." Xemnas' words seemed to echo ominously around the room as Zexion gaped at him.

"You want me to accompany her? But she is insufferable!" He exclaimed, looking at me with a sidelong glance. I had been looking around the room and was currently trying to pick the lock on the filing cabinet in the corner. I felt their eyes on me and jumped, hiding the paperclips that I had manipulated to be lock picks.

"Yes?" I asked, trying to remain innocent.

"What were you doing?" Xemnas asked, seeming intrigued.

"Ummm, trying to pick the lock on the filing cabinet." I said slowly, nervously. Zexion rolled his eyes. I bit my lip, cringing backwards as Xemnas leaned towards me.

"And why were you trying to do that?" He asked me. I bit my lip.

"To see if I could do it..." Xemnas sat back in his chair, appearing to be deep in thought.

"Intriguing..." He said to himself. I blushed lightly in embarrassment. Zexion frowned.

"When is this mission?" He asked. Xemnas was brought out of his trance, while I nervously fiddled with the paperclips.

"Hmmm? Oh, you'll set off in an hour. The Gummi ship will be ready to leave then. But it will only take you one way. You'll have to portal back." He said absent-mindedly. Zexion groaned. To have to make sure he reserved enough strength to summon a portal could prove a challenge.

"Why do I need to go along with her in any case?" He demanded. I was only half listening now, relieved that Xemnas wasn't angry at me for trying to pick the lock.

"To protect her of course. She has no weapon or element as yet and she can't just be sent in without someone to guarantee her safety. And that's exactly what you have to do. No letting her be beat to a pulp by any Heartless."

"But she doesn't need a protector! She could talk them to death!" Zexion's voice rose with annoyance and anger. I frowned.

"That's not true, I could only talk them _half_ to death." I said defensively, trying to make the mood lighter. Zexion ignored me. I pouted and turned away to study the rest of the items in Xemnas' study.

"The place I'm sending you is infested with powerful Heartless. Without a weapon to defend herself, she wouldn't stand a chance against them." Xemnas explained patiently. Zexion opened his mouth in protest but Xemnas held up a hand. "I'm tired of explaining things. It will explain itself in due course. Now go. You have an hour in which to prepare yourselves. Use it wisely. Oh and I hear you two are sharing a room. No staying up too late, is that understood?" My jaw dropped and Zexion started to protest.

"We are not sharing a room!" Zexion insisted. I nodded in agreement, folding my arms across my chest. I felt ill with shock. How could Xemnas say such a thing. I gave up trying to think and walked out the door. I noticed that Zexion didn't follow me. Instead he closed the door after me.

"_Superior, I wondered if I could have a word with you privately." Zexion said quietly. Xemnas looked up and folded his hands in front of him in expectancy. _

"_You may. What seems to be the problem?" He asked, intrigued. Zexion took a deep breath._

"_It's the new member. I don't think she'll work out very well." He said. Xemnas raised a thin eyebrow._

"_How so?" He asked, eager to hear Zexion's reasoning. Zexion sighed and folded his hands in front of him._

"_Well she has shown no sign of her weapon or element appearing, for one. For another, she is insufferable. She has no idea or respect for her superiors. She is a distraction to all of us." He said._

"_A distraction to everyone or just you, VI? I know that she has had quite an effect on you these past few weeks. I have it on good authority that she is part of the reason you destroyed the library earlier today. You've been distracted as of late, you've become less literate. You've been less focused in your duties. We've all noticed it. I've had many reports from the other members saying that you are becoming easily angered and frustrated. If her being near you is asphyxiating than perhaps you should just tell her how you feel." He said. Zexion paced the room._

"_I couldn't do that. She is insufferable Xemnas. Always so happy and irritating. And she has a close relationship with Roxas. The last thing any of us needs is for our group to fall apart. Her presence might just be the downfall of us all." He insisted. Xemnas leaned back in his chair._

"_Oh well if that is all, than I don't know why you're bothering me with these trifles. If you are having difficulties dealing with your emotions than perhaps you should take it up with a counsellor." Xemnas said casually. Zexion fumed silently._

"_But how can you just cast it aside? She is absolutely unbearable! Her presence cannot be good! We have to get rid of her! She is despicable! She is weak! I hate her!" There was a crashing noise outside and footsteps running in the opposite direction. Zexion opened the door and peered out but couldn't see anyone._

"_I hate the way she effects me so. Despite all the traits I've mentioned, what worse is that when I'm around her I can feel emotions again." He continued quietly._

"_Really? Such as?" Xemnas was intrigued._

"_Anger mostly but there's this other one, another emotion that is so confusing. Whenever I'm around her I want to be holding her, or to be with her and by her side at all times. When she flirts with Roxas I want to tear him from limb to limb. I hate it. Why does she effect me so?" He asked, burying his face in his hands._

"_This is very interesting indeed. I'll have to look into it. For now you had better find her. Hear this though Zexion, we can't lose her, she could very well be the break through we've been looking for." With those final words, he dismissed his number VI._

_Zexion needed to think things over. He had to figure out what was going on. He decided to go to the only place where he felt peace. Walking into the library he heard a soft sobbing sound and walked around a row of bookshelves to see Sirix huddled on a window seat crying._

"Are you okay?" I jumped as I heard his voice. He was standing right next to me. I bit my lip, not worrying about how horrible my hair looked, but rather why he was there.

"Is that really what you think of me? That I'm unbearable and I have to be disposed of? That I'm despicable? That I'm weak? Do you hate me?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. He stood still, shocked it would seem.

"How much did you hear?" he asked.

"Most of it." I said quietly. He seemed relieved about something, and worried more about another.

"I can't explain everything. But I do know that we have a mission to complete and Xemnas will not allow us to change partners so we have to put aside our differences and complete our task. Please." He said quietly, holding out his hand. I hesitated before taking it. He helped me to my feet.

"Come on, we have to see if we can find your weapon." He said, trying to make me smile. It didn't work.

The ever constant cloud cover of Halloween town provided a dreary picture to my eyes. It was my first time in a new world and it looked to be interesting. The Gummi ship had deposited us about ten kilometres to the east of the town. I looked about me in awe. I had never been to such an intriguing place before, except the Castle. Zexion smirked at my obvious amazement. I blushed.

"What? What are you laughing at?" I demanded. He grinned.

"You. You're looking around as if you've never travelled worlds before, or ever seen a place that loved Halloween so much that it designed its entire land around the event." He said, laughing.

"But I haven't." I said quietly, though he couldn't hear me. He smirked and started walking.

"Come on, there's a place that the Heartless often use as a gathering ground up ahead. Our reports say that they moved from there yesterday, we should investigate and see what's left behind." He said. I nodded and followed him, skirting over and around creeping stones and animals and even pumpkins. After about half an hour I grew bored.

"Zexion how much further?" I complained. He held up a hand and peered around a rock. We were standing on a hill, shielded by a rocky outcrop and looking down on a group of the most hideous monsters I've ever seen.

"What are they?" I asked, creeping up behind him and peeking around a rock that was three times the size of me.

"They're Heartless. They are what is formed when the human heart succumbs to the darkness inside them. This lot are a rather ferocious looking group too." He explained. I frowned in thought.

"I thought you said they'd left."

"I thought they had. They must've come back." He said. He looked confused too.

"Well maybe someone ought to teach them a lesson." I said, standing up and grabbing a large stone and a heavy looking branch from the ground next to me.

"What are you doing! You can't go down there, they'll kill you!" He said, grabbing my arm. I pulled away from him.

"Watch me. I'll prove that I'm not weak. Just stay here and watch what happens." I said. He groaned as I walked out from behind the rocks and charged down the hill, screaming a war cry. The group of heartless turned around and saw me. They seemed to exchange glances and formed a circle around me. I yelped and screamed in fear, trying to run away when I realised that I had no hope.

The largest of them appeared out of nowhere and grabbed me up by the waist. I screamed again and started hitting it with the rock that I had managed to cling too.

"Put me down you Bastard!" I yelled. As my rock came into contact with them an electric shock ran through my body. I screamed in pain, but still kept hitting the monster relentlessly. "Leave me alone!" I yelled. I was hit with another jolt of electricity and felt my energy become sapped. I screamed relentlessly, hoping to hurt its ears, if it had them. The other monsters swarmed around the giant one that held me, tugging at my body and clothes, clawing, scratching. I kicked out but every time I did the electric shock would hit me again. I couldn't keep it up. I was drifting in and out of consciousness. I reached out to the giant monster and touched the place where its heart would rest if it truly had one. I didn't know what I was doing. I just wanted the noise to stop. The screaming inside my head was growing agonising. It seemed to find my pain funny. I grit my teeth.

"You wouldn't be laughing if you could feel my pain bitch." I said. My breathing grew shallow and suddenly the screaming stopped. Instead there was a horrible rasping noise that was so agonising. Suddenly I was crumpled on the ground, with something in my hand. I had a brief moment to look at what it was before I passed out. It looked to be a sword and wrapped around my fingers was _thread?_

_Zexion saw Sirix collapse and he yelled out her name. He pushed his way through the heartless, knocking them down one after the other until he reached the lifeless girl. Her body was limp, her black streaked hair fanning out underneath her like a blanket. He noticed that she held what looked to be the hilt of a sword in her hand and entwined around her fingers were silver glistening threads. He was puzzled, but his concern overruled. With Xemnas' words ringing in his ears he fought off the last of the heartless and picked up the unconscious Nobody, forming a portal to get them home._


	2. A relationship is formed

**The fifteenth member Part 2-**

_Why did my body ache all over? It hurt. I felt like electric sparks were shooting through my body one after the other. I wanted it to stop. I couldn't remember the last time I had been in such agony, except from my first day as one of the organization. Oh my god, the heartless. Halloween town. Zexion. Was he okay? What had happened? Was I still lying in that cavernous hollow in the mountain pass? Was I dead? I couldn't move at all. I could hear quiet noises, voices. Male voices._

"_Is she alright Vexen? Will she be okay?" Shuffling, papers being flipped through, beeping. My head ached. I just wanted to be in bed with a cup of tea and a hot water bottle. I wanted to be curled up with a good book or playing music with my friends. We'd wanted to form a band, me, Lizzie, Jerry and EmJay. They used to say I had talent. I'd just laugh it off and say they were delusional. _

"_We can't tell Xemnas. He'll kill me. I was supposed to keep her safe." There was that voice again, the one that sounded like the rustling of pages being turned in a quiet night, that made me think of comfort and nights around the fire with dad when he'd read me a story from mum's collection. _

"_She appears to be fine. Just in shock, and exhausted. If what you say is true about her weapon appearing than she may very well be incredibly tired. Her vitals are fine, blood test came back normal, breathing is regular. She just needs to rest." A cold voice, chilly, the voice of a scholar when giving a lecture. I recognised it too. But why couldn't I name them? My thoughts played over in my head. Why couldn't I move? What exactly had happened and who was this girl they were all talking about?_

_**Vexen checked all the monitors hooked up to Sirix once more and turned to Zexion. **_

"_**She should be alright. I just have to go and check something, stay here with her. Do not let her out of your sight. If anything happens, call me immediately and record whatever you possibly can." He left Zexion sitting on a lab chair with a handful of reports. Casually looking through them he noticed Sirix's name.**_

_**Name: **__Sirix__**  
>Original name: <strong>__Unknown__**  
>Age:<strong>__ Unknown (estimated approx 17 yrs)__**  
>Origin:<strong>__ Unknown__**  
>Comments:<strong>__ found outside the Old mansion near twilight town. Appears to be a new breed of Nobody. Heart? Suspected to have a powerful weapon and element. Could be the source of emotional turmoil going on around here._

_**Vexen entered the lab moments later, while Zexion**__**was reading through all the results from the various tests performed on Sirix.**_

"_**Vexen, what's this?" He asked, holding a sheet out to the scientist. The paper was of an anagram. **_

"_**That would be a heart anagram. It's the results of the heart monitor that I had hooked up to Sirix." He explained, without even thinking about it. Zexion frowned.**_

"_**I know what it is, I mean why are there results. She shouldn't have a heart. She is a Nobody." He said, bewildered and slightly angry, though he had no idea why.**_

"_**You're getting slow Zexion. Didn't it ever occur to you that she had emotions? Didn't you ever wonder why? I should think it's obvious. Sirix is the exact thing we wish to be. She is a Nobody with a heart. A powerful one at that it would seem." Vexen replied dryly.**_

'_**Why didn't she tell me?" Zexion asked quietly. Vexen smirked.**_

'_**Well you haven't been the most sociable person on her part, have you?" Zexion frowned.**_

"_**Not really... But still, why doesn't anyone know about this?"**_

"_**Because we don't want it to be common knowledge. If the others found out who knows what could occur?" Xemnas entered the lab and made Zexion jump. He looked at the unconscious Sirix lying once again on Vexen's table. "I do believe I told you that we couldn't afford to lose her, number VI." He said.**_

"_**She's still here isn't she? She's still alive. You think I don't care about her Xemnas? I do! And I'm not losing her to some great Heartless." Xemnas smiled.**_

"_**Well that's good. In any case I'm assigning her to your care. As punishment for allowing her to fight without any defence of her own, you will nurse her back to health." Zexion stared at him in shock.**_

"_**But I'm a tactician, not a nurse maid." He said, his horror portrayed in his voice.**_

"_**Indeed, oh well. Oh and Zexion, seeing how Saix and Lexaeus destroyed her room while training, you'll have to move her to your room." With that Xemnas left the teen to his horror.**_

I woke to the rustle of pages turning beside me. I turned my head to see who it was and noticed that I was not in my room. Bookshelves lined the walls and a soft glow lit the room.

"You're awake then?" I knew that voice. I looked over to see Zexion sitting in a chair on my left, reading.

"What happened?" I asked, finding my voice after recovering from the shock of waking in his room.

"You were attacked by heartless. The good news is that you discovered your weapon." He said, trying to cheer me up.

"And the bad news?" I asked, almost too scared to ask.

"I'm stuck playing nurse." He grumbled. I laughed. It was just like him to find that a bad thing. I cringed as a spark of electricity coursed through my body, causing my breath to catch in my throat. I doubled over briefly before closing my eyes. I felt Zexion place hand lightly on my arm.

"Are you okay? What happened?" He sounded genuinely concerned. I smiled weakly.

"Yeah I'm fine, just an aftershock. Nothing to worry about. It'll get out of my system eventually." I assured him. He frowned and removed his hand from my arm. The place where he touched me tingled slightly from the warmth of his skin.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get to you in time." He apologised quietly. I was startled. _Wait, is he actually sorry? I can't tell. I don't get it, why is he being so nice to me?_

"It's okay. Just think, if you hadn't got to me when you did I wouldn't have discovered my weapon. Then where would we be? The entire mission would be a waste." I assured him. It hurt me to see him so sad. What had happened to the Zexion that brushed me off constantly? To the guy that hated me? I mean I didn't _want_ him to hate me but seeing him so_..._ _different_ was heartbreaking. I couldn't bare it.

"I should've protected you and made you stop. I shouldn't have listened to you. I'm a failure as a Nobody. I'm supposed to look out for my comrades." He continued his apology and self hating. I glared at him, slapped him across the face.

"Snap out of it Zexion. I'm fine and you did look out for me. So stop beating yourself up over it or I'll hurt you." I threatened him. I was _not_ going to share a room with someone who was going to sulk all the time.

"Will you stop doing that!" He shouted, anger lighting his eyes. I smiled, satisfied that my provoking had worked.

"If you stop moping around and blaming yourself." I said. He glared at me.

"Just shut up and go to sleep. You're supposed to be resting." He said, standing up and heading towards the door.

"Where are you going?" I asked. He sighed, exasperated.

"For a walk. I need some fresh air." He said in a clipped voice. I poked my tongue out at him as he walked off.

"Be like that then." I muttered to myself. I was glad he was back to his usual self though. It was rather nerve racking having him being so nice. It wasn't normal. I heard footsteps walking down the corridor and half expected it to be Zexion coming back, but it wasn't. It was Roxas. He knocked on the door lightly and called out Zexion's name.

"Zexion, you in here?" He asked. I heard the sound of the handle being turned and panicked. I couldn't hide. I didn't want to talk to Roxas right now but I couldn't run away from him. The only thing I could do was sleep. So I pretended. I heard the door open and soft footsteps.

"Zexion? I was wondering if you'd seen-" He cut off mid-sentence. I knew he had entered the bedroom area and seen me, seemingly asleep. "What the-?" He asked, just as Zexion returned. He turned around and ran into the other teen with a thud.

"Hello Roxas. Is there something you needed to see me about?" He asked casually, as if I weren't just lying in his bed for some reason unknown to Roxas.

"I came to ask if you'd seen Sirix but I guess there's no need. It's fairly obvious that you've been seeing quite _a lot_ of her." Roxas said; his voice thick with emotion and frustration. Zexion sighed. He'd known it would come to this.

"It isn't what it seems Roxas. We had a mission in Halloween Town. She was rendered unconscious by some rather nasty Heartless and Xemnas charged her health to me. I'm not sleeping with her if that's what you suspect." He explained patiently, trying to use smaller words for the younger and less literate boy. Roxas seemed confused.

"So she isn't your lover or anything?" He asked slowly. Zexion rolled his eyes, or at least I suspected he did as this was exactly that kind of situation.

"Of course not, like I would sink as low as that, especially when she is clearly different to the rest of us. Not to mention vouched for by you." He said calmly and I seethed with anger, just managing to remain still. What was he thinking? Was he trying to ruin everything and make it harder for me to break the news to him? _I'm going to kill you Zexion. I swear I will cause you indescribable pain. You will wish you had never been reborn._ I cursed him silently, wishing Roxas would just leave.

"Yeah... I guess. I just don't think that is going to work out too well. That's why I came to find her, because I didn't want to hurt her or anything, but I guess now isn't a good time." Roxas' words seemed too good to be true. Could he really be feeling the same as I was?

"I guess not. She could be out for a while. I can tell her if you want." Zexion offered.

"Yeah, maybe... that'd be nice. Well I... Uh... better go." I heard his footsteps fade away, Zexion closing the door and then felt Zexion's movements beside me.

"Well, did you hear that? You don't have to worry about the charade anymore. You can stop pretending to be asleep now." He said rolling me onto my back. I opened my eyes.

"I guess there's no fooling you, is there Zexy?" I said with a smirk. I glowed with pleasure at the sight of his horrified look.

"You've been spending time with Demyx haven't you?" He said. I grinned.

"Maybe... So why aren't you sleeping with me?" I asked, changing the subject to make him even more uncomfortable. He stared at me blankly.

"Because I don't want to. You are unwell and I don't like you nearly enough to share a bed with you." He said, turning his back on me. I couldn't help but think he wasn't telling the entire truth.

"Whatever you reckon. I'm going to sleep. Feel free to join me." I said, rolling over onto my side and closing my eyes. The last thing I heard was the sound of him turning the pages of a book.

"You know I still don't understand why you insist on sleeping on the floor. You have a double bed, and currently it's only being used by one person. That's a little pointless don't you think?" I commented casually for the second time that day. It had been three days since I had woken up in Zexion's room the first time. It had changed a little now, because he had placed a mattress on the floor for himself. It really was rather pointless. I wasn't going to bite him or anything. It's not like he couldn't trust me. But instead he chose to sleep on the floor. I had spent two days trying to convince him to leave his stupidity behind him. It was a losing battle so far but I refused to give up just yet. He looked up from his book.

"We've been through this a hundred times already, Sirix. I neither want to nor am inclined to. And you pestering me will only make my resolve even stronger." He said. I rolled my eyes.

"That doesn't mean I won't stop trying. You can hardly be comfortable on that mattress. I couldn't bare it if you were injured." I said with a mischievous grin. He rolled his eyes.

"If I agree will you be quiet?" He asked. I thought about that for a moment.

"Probably not." I decided. He sighed heavily.

"You're so exasperating. What must I do to get you to shut up?" He asked, throwing his hands in the air. I shrugged.

"What would you be willing to do?" I asked, laughing silently. He looked as if he regretted asking the question. I crawled to the edge of the bed and lay down on my stomach, resting my head on my arms, watching him.

"Why are you always reading when I'm around? You never do anything but read when you're here with me.

_That's not true, not entirely in any case. If only you knew what was going through my head whenever I'm near you, Sirix. But you couldn't possibly know. You aren't psychic, I hope. Zexion's thoughts were usually very clear and decisive but whenever he was around her he didn't know what to think. He was all confused and he hated it._

"Because you're not entertaining." He said simply. I pouted.

"Well that's not very nice. I could always change that." I suggested, smiling slyly. He shook his head.

"No thank you, I'll be fine." He declined. I shrugged.

"Whatever. If you wanna live a boring and unexciting life then that's your problem." I said rolling over onto my back. I pulled a ball from my pocket and started throwing it in the air, catching it with ease.

"Why are you doing that?" He asked. I smiled and caught the ball midair.

"Because you are more boring than I am. I wish you'd just be more fun." I said, playing with the ball again. He moved off the mattress on the floor and climbed on top of the bed, leaning over me. I felt my breath catch in my throat. Could I finally be getting what I wanted?

"How's this? Is this _fun_ enough?" he asked, leaning incredibly close to me. My breathing grew very fast and shallow. What was happening now? I tried to reply but my breath was cut short so I couldn't reply. He brushed his lips against my throat carefully. Before I could take it any further he rolled off me grinning wickedly.

"Are you having _fun_ now?" He asked, teasing me. I glared at him.

"Now you're just toying with my emotions. That's not very nice you know." I said with a pout. He shrugged.

"Well tough luck. It's payback. You toy with my emotions constantly. It's not very polite of you." He said, sitting up.

"What do you mean by that?" I demanded, realising he had admitted he had emotions but not wanting to make it known to him that he had clearly slipped up. It was up to him to figure that out.

"I mean that you are constantly around me, provoking me and acting all angry one minute and flirting with me the next. I don't know what to do when I'm around you. I want to yell and scream at you half the time. You make everything seem so straight forward until I try it myself. How can you continue to keep going with all the emotions burning inside you?" I was stunned into silence. This was the most honest he had been with me since we met. Was I finally getting a sneak peek behind his shields?

"I suppose when you're born with emotions you learn from natural instinct to cope with them. You don't know anything different to having them, so you can't have a hard time coping. But, there are times when it becomes too much to handle, or becomes confusing, but very rarely." I answered as honestly as I could. I don't know why I gave such a long answer to a seemingly simple question but I did give it to him. He seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying though.

"When does it become like that?" He was still lying next to me, looking intently at me with his pale lilac eyes. The intensity in his eyes sent chills down my spine, though not all bad.

"Oh, here and there, moments when things get too hard or complicated. Moments when my mind is filled with confusing things." I said casually, quietly. I bit my lip lightly before continuing. "Moments like this." I looked at him, ignoring the urge to bite my lip again. It was a bad habit that I'd had since I was small. He laughed softly.

"Why do you always do that?" He asked me. I gave him a puzzled look.

"Do what?" I asked. He smiled and ran a finger tip over my lips.

"Bite your lip. You do it every time you talk to me. I just wanted to know why." I blushed at his words, ducking my head and fidgeting with the blankets on the bed.

"You make me nervous. And constantly confused. I don't understand you at all. You act like you hate me. You yell at me, call me insufferable, and brush off all my attempts to flirt with you, and then you act like you are now. You confuse me so much." I complained. He raised an eyebrow.

"And how would you want me to act?" He asked me. I shrugged.

"I don't care, just one or the other, not both. I don't know how to handle my emotions with you." My hands were shaking slightly and I tightened my grip on the blanket to stop the shaking. He looked like he was deciding something and reached for my hand.

"You're shaking, why?" He asked, placing his hand on mine to stop the shaking. I opened my mouth to speak when there was a knock on the door and it opened to reveal Xigbar. His eyes bulged and his jaw dropped. Zexion pulled his hand away from mine and tried to act like nothing had just happened. Xigbar recovered and sauntered over.

"Wow, am I interrupting? Something going on here that you forgot to inform us of Zexion?" He asked. Zexion visibly flushed red angrily.

"Don't be ridiculous Xigbar. If there was something I needed to inform you of I would do so, however there isn't, so I won't." He said angrily. Xigbar raised his eyebrows.

"Whatever dude. Xemnas wants ya's to report to him at dinner tonight." He said, shrugging.

"Just me or both of us?" Zexion asked. "Sirix isn't up to walking around yet. She still has quite a way to go in her recovery." He explained. Xigbar shrugged again.

"I guess just you then little dude." He smiled and headed out the door, before turning back to wink at me. "Nice catch dudette. He's a keeper." He grinned and walked out as Zexion picked up a pillow and threw it at his head. "Later dudes." Zexion glared after him. I looked at the clock on the bedside table.

"You'd better go; it's almost time for dinner in any case." I said quietly. I knew he'd made his decision from his reaction to Xigbar's implications. He nodded stiffly.

"Yes. I'll see you later." With that he walked off, leaving me to feel slightly cut.

"Well, there he goes. It was foolish of me to think I could ever be with him." I said to myself. I pulled a silver locket out from under my cloak and opened it. I looked at the black and white photo of my father. He was kind, in my childhood he had always been there for me, ever since mother's death. I remember getting home from school and finding him waiting for me with all sorts of games. I remember few fights between my parents, they were close. When mum died, dad had been devastated, but he kept strong for me. I unclasped the necklace from around my neck and held it in the palm of my hand, closing my eyes.

"I found them daddy, I know I promised not to get involved but I can't leave. They've taught me so much. I wish you could meet some of the other members. They aren't that bad." I whispered, holding the locket to my chest, closing my eyes and letting the tears fall down my cheeks. "I miss you daddy." I whispered.

_Zexion sat uncomfortably in his chair at dinner, feeling uneasy around the other members. He'd given his report to Xemnas moments ago._

"_And where is XV now?" Xemnas asked. Zexion jumped slightly before composing himself. _

"_She is resting currently, superior. She is still very much unwell, though improving rapidly." He heard the snickers sounding around him when he mentioned the latest addition to their 'family', and ignored them accordingly._

"_I bet she is with you 'looking' after her." Xigbar said, causing Axel and Larxene to have to smother their laughter with their hands. Demyx looked confused, but the look passed momentarily and was replaced with one of excitement._

"_Hey I just had an awesome idea. What if we threw her a party when she gets better to celebrate her getting her weapon and stuff? She'd like that I bet. And she hasn't really officially been inducted into the organization. We should throw her the party as a way to welcome her!" His face was bright with excitement. Xemnas thought about it briefly and then nodded._

"_Alright, but it's up to you to decided who does what. I've more important things to deal with. Now I've missions to arrange, so I'll be in my office. Good night everyone." He said, standing and leaving the room. Demyx started talking animatedly with Axel to plan Sirix's party and the others started up conversations of their own. Zexion stood and took his plate to the kitchen, picking up a plate of food for Sirix. The girl would no doubt be hungry by now._

_He opened the door slowly, checking briefly that it wasn't a bad time before entering the room. He looked over to where she lay on the bed, eyes closed and breathing evenly. She was very much asleep. With a sigh he placed the plate on his desk and moved over to the side of the bed to turn the lamp off beside the bed. He noticed the flash of silver and saw the locket in her open palm, half clenched. He glanced at her briefly before gently prying her fingers open to see the trinket. He saw the photo and turned the locket over to see an inscription on the back. __**To my darling Iris, happy thirteenth birthday, love Daddy.**__ He placed the locket back in her palm. So she had a family. Did she miss them? He wondered. The girl stirred slightly in her sleep but did not wake. He sat next to her on the bed, watching her sleep._

_She possessed a heart, was the very thing they were striving to become, it was no surprise that Xemnas had brought her there. She was invaluable to their quest, proof that they could exist with hearts. He felt sleep begin to overrun his senses and before he could do anything, it claimed him._

I woke early the next morning to see Zexion beside me. He looked peaceful in his slumber and I smiled sadly. He had accepted part of my inclination but just how much of it? I stood up quietly and walked into the bathroom suite. The mirror had been replaced a fewdays ago. I placed the locket on the bench and stripped off, climbing into the shower.

_The sound of running water woke Zexion out of his slumber. He looked over to see that Sirix was already awake. He assumed she was the one in the shower. He ran a hand through his hair. What the hell was he going to do? She brought out things in him that he hadn't known was possible. He needed to go for a walk. Dressing quickly he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him._

I heard the sound of the main door closing as I was turning the shower taps off. I stepped out and wrapped myself in a towel before looking out the bathroom door. No Zexion. I sighed. It was as I thought. He didn't want anything to do with me. _Whatever, who needs him anyway. He's boring. I'm sick of being cooped up. _I thought to myself. I dressed quickly and left the room, heading for the dining room.

"Sirix! You're up!" Demyx exclaimed, a broad smile lighting up his face. I noticed Larxene gave me a dirty look but I ignored her. I met Roxas's gaze uneasily and sat at the table, only to be bombarded with questions. I answered as best I could, until Axel smirked and leaned close to me from across the table.

"So you and Zexion aye, who would've thought it?" He commented dryly. I almost choked on the piece of toast I was eating. I blushed.

"What? Me and Zexion? No... We aren't like that at all, I just happened to be put into his care after my mission. It's not like anything's going on." I stammered, blushing. Xigbar laughed heartily.

"Yes, because that's totally all that was going on when I went to deliver a message to you two yesterday. Don't act the fool Sirix, we know the truth." He said coyly. I blushed even more. They all laughed, teasing good naturedly. The laughter stopped when Zexion entered. He looked startled to see me out of the room, but said nothing. He took his place at the table and started to eat, ignoring me completely. I couldn't believe it. He could've at least said hi. First he gave me the cold shoulder this morning and now he was totally snobbing me around everyone else. I grit my teeth and bit my tongue to stop from saying anything or bursting into tears. It would not to do show tears around these people.

"Hey Zexion, we were just talking about you." Xaldin said with a grin. Zexion raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything, just shot him an 'I'm supposed to care?' look.

"Yeah, we were talking to Sirix about how you two are _just friends_ and Xigbar started to tell us an incredibly interesting story about how he walked in on you holding hands." Axel said with a wicked grin. I looked horrified, not sure what was going to happen. I knew he'd deny it. It was just what he did. A small part of me hoped he wouldn't deny it, but I knew that he would.

"You are being ridiculous Axel, as usual. What Xigbar saw me doing was checking Sirix's vital signs as part of my current task to bring her to health." He said calmly. I stared at him, marvelling at how he could think up such a story on the spot and remain calm. I shook my head slightly and rolled my eyes. Why had I expected anything else from him?

"So Sirix, now that you're out of the isolation ward, does it mean you're better?" Demyx asked, changing the subject. I looked up from my plate and shrugged.

"I dunno. I guess that's for Zexion to decide." I said, my words causing everyone to look at the slate haired boy. He didn't seem to even acknowledge their gazes.

"She is not yet well enough to be wandering around the castle." Vexen said for him. I stared at the tall man. I hadn't even heard him come in. "I suggest you go get some more rest Sirix, so that you can be moving and training as soon as possible." He said, clearly dismissing me. I was about to protest when he gave me a pointed look that said it was for the best. I nodded and left the room, wandering back to Zexion's room slowly. I didn't understand a lot of things about this place. I guess the only thing I could manage to do is follow instructions and make people hate me. It seemed to be that way in any case.

**A week later...**

"You are not trying hard enough. Focus on channelling your energy to the palm of your hand and then into the opponent." Zexion's voice called from his perch above me. He was balancing precariously on a high pedestal far above my head as I tried to follow his instructions. The shadow heartless in front of me swayed from side to side, dazed from when Zexion had knocked it out to capture it for my training session. I frowned. Xemnas had wanted me to see if I could use my ability again but so far it wasn't working so well. I picked myself up off the ground for the fifth time that session and dusted my clothes off.

"Well if you're such a genius you do it." I snapped. I was sick of being kicked to the ground by a tiny thing like this heartless.

"I can't, your power is different, therefore the only thing to do is try to instruct you. Only you can know how to use your ability and weapon, so only you can do this. Now try again." He said. I glared at him and braced myself for the attack of the heartless. It charged and tried to swipe at me. I dodged and tried to channel the energy into the palm of my right hand, focusing so hard on trying to get the ability to work that I didn't notice the creature attack and it smacked me hard in the small of my back. I cried out as my back arched. I swung a fist at the heartless and felt a jolt jar my arm as it connected with something solid. A flash of light, painful squeals and I unclenched my fist. A clatter sounded out as something fell to the ground. The light cleared and I saw a sword lying on the ground, shimmering slightly. I reached down to pick it up and it seemed to hum in my hands. I knew at once that this was my weapon. Clapping from the doorway. I turned around to see Xemnas smiling, seeming pleased.

"Well done Sirix. You've progressed well. You're ability still needs much work but you've managed to summon your weapon and remain conscious. It is a good start." He walked over to where the heartless had been. All that was left was a few strands of silver thread. He picked them up carefully and held them out to me. I took them hesitantly.

"What are they?" I asked. He smiled.

"You tell me." He said. I stared at him and then took one of my gloves off, picking them up with my un-gloved hand. A flash of images, memories. I gasped and the strands dissolved in my hand.

"Is everything okay?" Xemnas asked, grabbing my arm as I stumbled slightly. Zexion jumped down from his spot and moved over to see what was going on.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to rest. I'll uh see you guys later." I said, walking off in a daze.

"_Iris I want you to promise me something." Dad's voice seemed very serious, the smile that usually brightened up his face nowhere to be seen. I stared up at him from my spot on the ground, one of my favourite books in my lap._

"_Yes daddy?" He seemed very upset. I was twelve. I had never seen daddy so upset, except after mummy had died._

"_Some time in your life, some men might come after you, men in black leather and long cloaks. They will come to take you from me, from your home. Don't let them take you Iris. If you do, you will never be allowed home again. If they come, don't tell them who you are, or who I am. I want you to have a normal life, you're different to them, they can't take your life away. Promise me you won't let them." He looked me right in the eye; his violet eyes the very same colour as mine. I nodded, not sure why he was so intent on this, but it seemed important to him._

"_I promise daddy." He hugged me. _

I woke with a start. The dream had seemed so real. I remembered that particular moment. I'd been so happy to be with Dad. He'd told me what I was later that night. _I can never go back. That's right, I'm a Nobody, a Nobody with a heart. I failed my promise._

"I'm sorry daddy." I whispered. I looked at the alarm clock on my bedside table and stretched. 6:35. Time for dinner. I ran a brush through my hair and left my room.

When I entered the hallway outside the Grey room I spotted Xaldin carrying a large box into the room.

"Hurry up Xaldin, she'll be here any minute. I don't want her to walk in while we're still preparing things." Demyx's voice floated through the gap in the slightly ajar door.

"Where's Zexion disappeared to now?" Larxene's voice.

"I sent him to collect Sirix and distract her for a moment while we set up." Xigbar said. I turned around to see Zexion approaching me.

"Have you come to distract me?" I asked with a smirk. He looked at the ground.

"You heard about it huh? Oh well, I guess the cat's out of the bag now." He said. I shrugged.

"I still don't know what's going on, so the cover isn't completely blown." I said. Demyx appeared at the door.

"Yay! Sirix! Come in! We're throwing you a party!" He exclaimed. I smiled and entered the Grey room. They'd set up a makeshift bar in one corner, a poker table in another, numerous other areas set up for different activities. They'd pushed the couches together to form booths. The lighting was dimmer than it usually was, giving it a more club-like feel. A buffet table was set up along one wall, covered in all sorts of foods, even cake. It really looked like they had put a lot of effort into setting up the room.

"We ought to do something a little traditional for this." Axel said. We'd been lounging around, drinking (except Roxas, because even in fan-fictions he is too young to drink.) and talking, being stupid. Luxord taught me how to play Poker. I failed epically. Luckily we hadn't been drunk enough to start with the strip poker. I would not have been very well covered had that been the case.

"How about, truth or dare?" Larxene suggested, smirking wickedly. The others shrugged.

"Why not? Only to make it fair, the bottle decides who gets asked." Xigbar said, pulling an empty beer bottle close to him. "So, who starts?" Everyone looked at me.

"Fine. Give me the damned bottle." I said, holding out my hand. Xigbar pulled away.

"Uh uh. You have to answer first, truth or dare?" He said. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Dare. I never minded a risk or two." I said, waiting in tense silence as they discussed dares amongst themselves. Axel grinned wickedly and they all nodded their head in agreement to what he said.

"We dare you to kiss Zexion." Xigbar said, as Axel grinned and Demyx giggled like a madman. I stared at them, my jaw almost dropping. I saw the look in Larxene's eyes, a smug bitchy expression on her face. How I so wanted to wipe that smirk off her face. I pulled myself together, shrugging casually.

"Well if that's all." I said and crossed the circle to where Zexion sat, a look of irritation on his face, and a little fear. I smiled and leaned close to him, grabbing his collar in my hands and brushing my lips across his, parting my lips slightly. Before I knew what was happening, I was kissing him intently and I'm fairly certain that he was kissing me back. I pulled away after a moment, blushing. Everyone was staring amazed.

"That was... interesting." Vexen said after a moment. I blushed again and made my way back to my spot. Xigbar nodded, he was lost for words. Even Axel was speechless.

"Can you teach me how to do that?" he said after a moment and everyone groaned, except Zexion, who I think was still recovering from my dare. I cleared my throat and tapped the bottle with a long painted nail.

"Time to move on, unless you're all too shamed to try and beat that.' I said slyly. They protested. I spun the bottle. It landed on Demyx. The blonde paled considerably.

"Truth." He squeaked, too scared to pick dare. We all thought hard, thinking about what we could possibly ask him to find out the gossip on him. A slow smile crossed my face as an idea formed in my head. The others saw my face and waited eagerly for my question.

"If you were gay, who in this room would you be gay with?" I asked. Demyx looked horrified.

"I DON'T KNOW! YOU EXPECT ME TO KNOW THAT?" He exclaimed, panicking. I exchanged a smirk with Axel.

"Well if you don't want to answer it, you can always do a dare." Axel said, an evil smirk on his face. Demyx looked horrified.

"No! I'll answer, just give me a minute to think." He protested. I shrugged.

"Okay. But only a minute." I said deviously. I pulled out a watch and watched the second hand tick slowly around the face. He panicked and started to chew his nails in anxiety.

"Minute's up Demyx. Time to spill it." I said. He looked panicked again and I almost felt sorry for him. And then I didn't. I smirked. "Come on Demyx. A deal's a deal. We gave you your minute." I said, tapping my nails on the floor beside me. He swallowed dryly and stared at the ground.

"Lexaeus." He mumbled, blushing furiously. I heard a few audible gasps, some raucous laughter.

"Shut up!" Demyx wailed. He spun the bottle hastily and decided to pass for the next few rounds of the game. Everyone left the boy to his embarrassment and paid attention to the game. The bottle had landed on Xigbar. He chose dare. I didn't blame him, we had pretty much subjected Demyx to the worse thing imaginable with the truth question. We decided to give him a little slack and make it something outrageous but not too incriminating.

"We dare you to kiss a dog." Axel said. Xigbar looked confused.

"But we don't have a dog, the closest we have to one is Larxene and I'm not kissing her." He protested, earning a glare from Larxene and making everyone else crack up laughing.

"It's that or a truth question ten times worse." Marluxia said. Xigbar grimaced and then pulled Larxene into a steamy kiss before she could blink. She pulled away and slapped him.

"What the hell?" She demanded. He grinned and shrugged. I smothered my laughter. I mean, I had pretty much wiped the smug look off her face before but Xigbar had finished the job. Even Zexion cracked a smile. Larxene glared at me, spitting hatred in my direction. I ignored her, though it put a damper on my spirits. The game progressed, with us all doing many dares and truths, such as Marluxia having to seduce Xemnas when he entered the room, finding out Xaldin had gone through an 'experimental phase' as a teenager (hadn't we all?) and discovering Vexen had an aversion to needles despite being a scientist. Larxene had to pick Roxas's pocket, and found t her horror, a condom, thankfully not opened. The looks of horror went around the entire group over that particular dare. The youngest member had protested, saying it wasn't his, that he'd picked it up in Twilight Town to dispose of. None of us believed him, naturally.

"Your turn Sirix." Saix said. I jumped, startled.

"What? Oh, ok." I said, looking at everyone staring at me expectantly. "Uh, truth." I decided on the spur of the moment. I didn't like the look that Axel was exchanging with Marluxia. I bit my lip nervously, waiting for their question.

"Have you and Zexy... You know?" Marluxia asked. I stared at them, horrified.

"WHAT? HELL NO!" I was absolutely mortified. What kind of vibes were they getting from us that said anything different? Zexion looked just as horrified as me. I grabbed the bottle from the ground and spun it violently. We watched with intensity as the bottle spun around, first quickly and then slowing down, finally stopping at Zexion. He glared at every one of us, as if we all controlled who the bottle landed on.

"I will not be doing any of your pointless and stupid dares." He said simply. We shrugged, not caring really. We huddled together and discussed options. Roxas suggested one and they all agreed, but chose me to tell him. I tried to protest but they refused. I sighed.

"What is one thing that you regret in this lifetime?" I asked. I was silently fuming. It wasn't my question to ask him, Roxas thought of it, not me. I wasn't impressed. Zexion looked directly at me.

"Meeting you." He said simply. Everyone stared at him, horror stricken.

"Come on Zexion, that was harsh. What you have to go sayin' that for?" Xaldin asked him. Zexion's face remained impassive. I stared at him, before the anger set in. Hot, angry tears threatened to spill and I stood up hastily, running out of the room.

I ran down so many corridors that I don't even remember which way I went in the first place. My head was a jumble of emotions and thoughts. Nothing would make sense. I climbed so many staircases that I wasn't sure I was actually going anywhere. I felt like I was climbing a never ending tower. I felt the tears start to fall, but I didn't stop running. I found the roof staircase by accident. I'd just been running up any stairs that would take me away from Zexion so it didn't really matter to me where the hell it took me.

A cold breeze ruffled through my hair. I sat on the roof of the Castle, my knees pulled to my chest. Tears stained my cheeks, the cold wind slapping my skin like an ice whip. I shivered in my clothes. I'd left my cloak in my room before the party so I was sitting in a black singlet and leather pants, regretting my lack of warm clothing. Kingdom Hearts shone down on me, mocking me and making my tears glisten in its glow. I sobbed, letting all my emotions out, everything I'd ever bottled up and ignored in the last two months or so. I realised that crying wouldn't help me. Tears were pointless. I had to pull myself together. I stood up on the peaked roof and lost my footing. I skidded down the roof, trying to grab something, anything to stop me from falling. Just as I fell from the roof my hands grabbed hold of the gutter. I screamed impulsively.

"Oh great, after everything that has happened, I'm going to die by falling off a roof. That's just fantastic." I muttered to myself. I would've thrown my hands in the air if I weren't hanging on for dear life. I heard voices in the courtyard below me and I looked down to see the other members standing there, all looking up at me, pointing and shouting.

"Sirix! Hang on! I'm going to climb up and get you!" Roxas shouted to me. I only just heard what he said over the wind. He ran into the castle. I was going to yell for him to stop but just as I did my hand slipped and I screamed again.

"She's going to fall! What the hell was she doing up there in the first place?" I heard Xaldin's voice, mingled with everyone else's as they all asked similar questions. I gripped the gutter tightly and tried to pull myself up. I swung one leg over the edge of the roof, trying to pull myself up. I managed it, just. I rolled onto the safety of the roof, breathing a sigh of relief. I relaxed, breathing heavily. I was safe. _No suicide today,_ I thought with a shaky laugh. I sat up slowly, trying to control my shaky body. Nerves racked my system, adrenaline rushing through my veins. I stood unsteadily, turning around and smiling to let everyone know I was okay.

"It's all fine! I'm ok!" I shouted to them, hearing a collective sigh even from my perch. I smiled meekly and then my footing slipped again and I fell, no stopping myself this time. The ground rushed towards me. I closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable pain of my body slamming into the ground. I felt myself drawing nearer to it, but it never happened. I came to a sudden halt, no smashing, no pain, but the feeling of a net or something surrounding me. I opened my eyes to see a web of glowing threads encasing me. I was hovering about ten metres above the ground. I stared around me in wonder. I looked down to see everyone staring in anticipation as the net of glowing magic slowly lowered me to the ground. Once safely on the ground, the sides of the net lowered and Marluxia helped me to my feet. I locked eyes with Zexion, who held his Lexicon open with shaking hands, the knuckles whiter than usual as he gripped it tightly. He was looking particularly worried. I smiled shakily at Marluxia and made my way to Zexion.

"You saved me. Why?" I asked quietly. He looked around at everyone and they all made excuses to leave. Roxas appeared on the roof.

"Hey what happened?" He called out.

"You were too slow kid! She's already safe. Get your amateur butt back inside now!" Axel shouted up to him. They all left, leaving me and Zexion by ourselves in the courtyard.

"Because as much as I hate to admit it, I can't bare to see you fall to your death. You mean too much to me." He said. I stared at him. _What is he getting at? I don't understand._ He looked me right in the eyes.

"I think- I think I- I love you Sirix. I don't understand how it's possible, but I know it has something to do with how you have a heart. It has taken me this long to realise it. I think I had refused to acknowledge the fact that I could have feelings for you until I almost lost you." He said, brushing a hand down my cheek gently. I blushed at his touch, but pulled away.

"And by then it was too late." I said, stepping back from him. He looked like I had literally shattered everything he had ever dreamed of.

"What do you mean? I don't understand. What will it take for you to want me in your life?" He asked me. I shrugged.

"I don't know. But it'll be more than you saving my life. I've waited for you to accept me as yours and you didn't. I wanted you to say those words for over a month and you haven't. You said you hated me instead, you destroyed me more than once. And you expect me to just accept you when you see it fit?" I demanded. He was really starting to get on my nerves. He was so frustrating. I didn't want to be toyed with for no reason. I needed to know if what he felt for me was true or whether he felt sorry for me.

"No, of course not, I just... please give me a chance?" He asked me. I bit my lip. I wasn't going to refuse him flat out, but I was going to make him work for it. I'd make it difficult for him also.

"I'll give you a chance, a chance to prove your worth, but you will only get a certain amount of time to convince me, at the end of which, I'll decide whether to believe you." I said after a moment of consideration. He let a small smile slip past his defences and I felt the urge to kiss him again. This time I acted on my impulse, pressing my lips to his gently. He went rigid at my touch at first but relaxed and leaned into the kiss. I smiled and pulled away, just as his hopes rose.

"Is that the beginning?" He asked me. I smiled.

"Maybe. But it's not going to be that easy." I said, turning away from him. I took his hand.

"Come on pretty boy, we've a party to finish." I said with a sly smile, leading him back into the castle.


	3. Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust

**The fifteenth member part 3-**

"I still can't believe you managed to win Zexion over. You are certainly an interesting girl, Sirix." Xaldin said, taking the plate I handed him. The sweet aroma of cooking food filled the kitchen. It was my turn to make breakfast and I felt like going all out, that meant pancakes, bacon and eggs, basically a breakfast buffet. What can I say? I always loved to cook.

"I can cook too." I said with a smile. Marluxia entered the kitchen, followed by Axel, Roxas and Zexion.

"Something smells delicious. It can't be Larxene cooking that's for sure." Axel said from the doorway. The blonde girl looked up from filing her nails at the table in the next room.

"That was uncalled for, and like you would know." She retorted. He laughed.

"You're right, that's because I've never eaten any of your food, and I'm not game to." Axel said, making everyone else laugh. I cracked a smile but it disappeared in an instant when Larxene death glared me. I turned back to the stove, finishing cooking and serving everything up.

"Oi, Axel, make yourself useful and set the table." I said, passing him the plates I was holding. He saluted mockingly and did as I ordered him too. I laughed. Zexion cracked a smile, but tried to hide it. We'd been _together,_ I guess you could say, for about a week but he was still finding it awkward to show emotion around me. I was tempted to kiss him then and there, but I didn't want to make him feel any more awkward, so I just walked into the dining room, taking my place at the table and waiting for the rest of the members to do the same.

"So who do we have to thank for this morning's meal?" Xemnas asked, seeming awfully cheerful, more than usual. Everyone pointed to me and I blushed. Roxas patted my shoulder.

"It's ok Sirix. Your cooking wasn't that awful." He joked. I punched him on the shoulder.

"Don't be a jerk Roxas. I'll kick your arse." I threatened. He laughed at me and ducked when I threw a spoon at him. He retaliated by flicking a piece of bacon in my direction. I dodged it and it landed in Saix's hair. He gave me a cold, withering glare and I blushed again, hitting Roxas as payback for the bacon. He hit me back.

"Ouch! Don't hit me!" I said in a complaining voice.

"Now now children, no squabbling at the breakfast table, if you want to fight go to the training arena. Food is to be eaten, not thrown." Xemnas said good naturedly. Xigbar took a mouthful of water and set his glass down.

"Okay, spill it Xemnas, what has you in such elated spirits?" The sharpshooter said, voicing what was going through everyone's mind.

"It would seem we've discovered Sirix's ability, and we've discovered another thing." He explained. Everyone looked at me for an explanation.

"Well what is it? Tell us already." Axel said. I opened my mouth to speak but then realised I didn't know what to say.

"She possesses the ability to access people's very spirits. Her soul can resinate with the spirits of her opponents and manipulate them to do her will." Vexen entered the room as he spoke.

"What's the other thing?" Zexion asked, while everyone else was still processing my ability. Vexen flipped through his clipboard notes.

"Sirix possesses a heart, as many of us already know. She is the first of her kind and due to that fact, her heart itself possesses abilities which we could only dream of." He continued. Everyone stared at me and I blushed. I folded my hands in my lap and almost jumped when I felt a hand take one of my own gently. I looked over to my left at Roxas but he was currently shovelling food into his mouth so it wasn't him. That left... Zexion. I looked at him, a little surprised. He gave me a small smile and then a reassuring squeeze of my hand.

"So as you can guess, I'm eager to test the strength and limitations of this new asset. I'll be assigning you a new mission today. I'll send for you when I've got all the details." Xemnas said. I don't think I'd ever seen him so enthusiastic about anything like that before. I smiled nervously and continued to eat, slowly chewing small morsels of food. I wasn't sure that I was ready for a new mission.

"_She has awoken in her abilities, master." The thin reedy man muttered in a snivelling voice, kneeling down to his master. The servant was thin, sallow, with a pining, needy expression on his face. He had a mop of straw coloured hair and watery grey eyes. _

"_Very good Hericles. Keep an eye on the girl, I want to be informed the moment something changes." Hericles' master spoke with a powerful voice that spoke of authority. His piercing green eyes gleamed in the shadows that his dais rested in. _

"_There is one other thing, my lord." Hericles stammered. "The girl, she seems to have... er... fallen for the boy.' He explained. His master stood and leaned closer to his servant._

"_Which boy? Come now Hericles, you know that this cannot happen, she is supposed to remain unattached to the organization. We must know everything, mustn't we, my dear?" He said. Another shape stirred in the shadows and a young girl stepped out of them, one who looked very much like Sirix. _

"_Of course father. Every bit of information is vital." She said, her violet eyes gleaming, a perfect replica of Sirix in almost every way._

"_The boy with the spell book my lord. She appears to have won his affections." The master stroked his chin in thought._

"_This could present a problem. Nevertheless, our plan will proceed. Keep track of her, and the boy."_

I was lying on my stomach on Zexion's bed, reading a book about some girl named Dorothy and a magical cyclone that took her to some magic kingdom called Oz.

"What is the point of this book? It is all about how a cyclone carried this farm girl over the rainbow and took her to a magical land. Don't you think it's a little farfetched?" I asked Zexion, who walked out of the bathroom just as I spoke, towelling his hair dry.

"Sirix, we travel from this world to others where cartoon characters talk and live like normal people and you think that book is farfetched?" He asked. I had to admit, he had a point. I pushed myself up into a kneeling position on the bed and crawled over to where he stood.

"Well yes, but I'm quite certain this world is real." I said with a smile, putting the book down. He raised an eyebrow and started to put on his cloak over his bare chest.

"Is that so? And how do you confirm such theories?" He asked, leaning closer to me. I smirked and took hold of him by the cloak, pulling him close.

"Like this." I said, kissing him, unzipping his cloak again. He sat down on the bed beside me. I think he was debating with himself again as to whether this was right or not. He did that quite a lot.

"That's a very... persuasive method." He said after a moment. I smiled again, trailing my fingers along his collarbone.

"I'm rather good with persuasion. You think I should _persuade_ Xemnas to let you tag along on my mission today?" I asked, a twinkle in my eyes. He pretended to consider it.

"I think you'll be fine. But I'm not sure whether you'll make it out of here." He replied. I looked at him, puzzled. He laughed and pulled me close to him, kissing me hesitantly. The kiss was just beginning to deepen when a knock sounded on the door. We had a split second to break apart before the door opened and Larxene walked in.

"Xemnas said- Ugh, could you two like, get a room or something?" She said when she saw us, I was practically on top of Zexion, by accident of course, and it wasn't giving off the most innocent of messages.

"We do have a room Larxene, if you recall, you're standing in it." Zexion said. I was amazed, he was rather bold about it, despite his uncomfortableness around the other members usually. I was impressed. Larxene just looked disgusted.

"Whatever. Look I don't care what you two do in your own private time but I have a message to deliver so I'll appreciate it if you kept the gross actions to yourself for the time being. Xemnas wanted me to tell you that you two will be working together in a new world today. It's recon mostly but you may run into a few heartless, nothing too bad hopefully." Larxene said, with a rather bitchy look in my direction. "We wouldn't want the Thread Weaver to get hurt." Her tone was as sarcastic and fake as her nails. I opened my mouth to retort and Zexion silenced me with a look. I closed my mouth.

"Well thank you for telling us, XII. We'll leave as soon as we're ready." He was quite clearly dismissing her. She glared at us and left, slamming the door behind her.

"What the hell is her problem?" I demanded, sitting up and glaring after her, at a closed door no less. Zexion shrugged.

"Who knows with Larxene? Perhaps she dislikes the fact that she is no longer the only female in the group. Don't let her get to you Sirix, she'll just cause you trouble. If you ignore her she'll eventually get bored." He suggested. I grimaced and climbed off the bed, running a hand through my hair.

"I just don't get why she has to be such a bitch. It's not like I've ever done anything to her." I said. Zexion raised an eyebrow at me.

"Except that time you helped Axel break into her room and then he wrote Bitch all over her mirror in lipstick." He said. I flushed with shame.

"Well there was that time, But I had no idea that he was going to do that! He said he'd left his handbook in there!" I said in my defence. Zexion laughed.

"You really are rather gullible Sirix. Axel's handbook has never left his room. I don't even know how he found out you could pick locks in the first place." He continued. I acted hurt and turned my back on him.

"I am not! How the hell was I supposed to know that in any case? I don't stalk him and know what he keeps in his room for eternity!" I said in my defence.

"Neither do I!" Zexion said, incredibly defensively. I shrugged.

"Never said you did." I replied. He came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"You on the other hand..." He joked, making me laugh. I turned around and pushed him away.

"That's more than a little creepy. I'm going to get ready for the mission if you don't mind, so make yourself useful and pack provisions." I told him before walking into the bathroom.

"Sir yes sir." He saluted. I merely laughed.

"Where are we?" I asked. We appeared to be on some sort of tropical island. Dense jungle started at the edge of the beach, on the rising sand dunes. The sun was warm on my skin, making my cloak feel hotter. The air was thick with moisture. Zexion tossed me what seemed to be a guide book. I caught it and opened the book to the page he had dog eared.

"Neverland? Really? As in Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and Hook?" I asked, bewildered and astounded. He nodded.

"Yep, they are very much real and do in fact live here." He said. I stared at him, not sure whether to laugh or not. I mean, I'd read the legends. The library in The Castle that Never Was happened to be filled with the stories of the creatures they'd met in the different worlds, but I still thought this was a little farfetched.

"But I thought Larxene said we were going to a new world. You guys have clearly been here quite a few times." I pointed out. Zexion looked around him, examining the beach with careful intensity.

"We have, but there's a new sector that only just appeared on the radar. We think it may be due to a sudden break in the high level of radioactivity in the air surrounding the place." He explained. When i gave him a blank look he sighed and looked me in the eye. "Okay you know the story of how this place hasn't been discovered by humans before, but have you ever wondered why? There is a layer of radioactive power, raw power, shielding this place. It's this power that lets it have a mind of its own. The fairies on this island have power of their own but it is intensified by the radioactivity of the island itself, and the feathers of the one they call Mother Dove. Recently the layer that has shielded the entire island has broken and from it has formed a new sector. That is what we are to investigate." He said. I nodded, understanding him now. He took me by the arm and led me up the sand dunes into the forest.

"Come on, it's this way." He said, heading into the thick trees.

"Where are we going? You are always leading me into random unknown places and you never explain!" I complained. He laughed.

"Well you are always complaining that I'm too boring, I should think a little mystery would appeal to you. Don't be such a baby Sirix." He moved out of my sight, into a clump of trees too thick for me to see through. I heard a muffled shout and scuffling. Silence echoed around me.

"Zexion? Is everything ok?" I called out, edging forward and running through the bushes, finding myself in a clearing, but there was no sign of the Nobody.

"Very funny Zexion. You're not fooling me, stop hiding. We have a mission to complete." I called out, circling around the clearing. There was no answer but the eerie noises of the island's inhabitants. I shivered slightly.

"Zexion come on! This isn't funny! Stop being so immature!" No reply. I bit my lip. In the distance I heard a growl. I didn't know what it was but I wasn't game to stick around and find out. I spun around and saw a boy, no older than five standing there. I jumped, stifling a scream.

"Oh, hello. Maybe you can help me. I've lost my friend. He seems to have disappeared. Have you seen him?" I asked. _Is it just me or is that boy wearing pyjamas in broad daylight?_ The boy blinked at me. He hugged his little teddy bear closer to his chest and pulled his thumb out of his mouth.

"JOHN! THERE'S A SCARWY GIRL TALKING TO ME!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. I jumped, confused. He seemed to be scared of me. The sound of running footsteps filled the forest and the clearing was filled with boys, all in absolutely ridiculous clothes. A boy in a nightshirt and top hat stepped forward.

"What ever is the matter Michael?" He asked. The little boy named Michael pointed at me.

"She's scarwy." I looked around me at all the interested faces. Excitement glimmered in their eyes as they stared at me in wonder. I stood in a defensive position, ready for them in case they should decide I was a threat.

"She isn't that scary Michael."

"Who is she?" it came from one of the other boys. The one named John shrugged.

"Peter will know. Tootles, go get Peter." John told one of the younger boys. The boy saluted him and ran off into the centre of the forest. A gliding sound as if someone was flying through the trees came from behind me.

"No need for that. I'm here!" A voice sounded and I turned to face it, summoning my weapons simultaneously. The twin swords flashed into existence as I spun around to face the newcomer. I felt a searing pain in the back of my head and I collapsed on the ground.

"What the heck?" I muttered before my blades disappeared and the tendrils of unconsciousness claimed me.

"_Oops. Sorry Peter. She looked like she was gonna attack you." One of the lost boys said, dropping the rock he had hit Sirix with hastily. Peter sighed._

"_You really have to stop doing that Cubby. Come on. We can't just leave her here. We'll have to take her back to the camp and hope you didn't give her brain damage." Tink shook some pixie dust onto the unconscious Nobody and John and Tootles carried her back through the forest._

_Zexion had somehow managed to get himself ensnared in one of Peter's many booby-traps at the time of Sirix's capture and when he finally managed to escape he couldn't find his partner anywhere._

"_Sirix? Where did you go?" He called out. He groaned. He hated this place, with all its jungle, flowers and humidity. He despised it and now he had to locate Sirix so they could get on with their mission. He didn't want to spend any longer than he had to on this treacherous island. He noticed the trampled ground in the direction Sirix had been taken and sighed. It would seem the girl had managed to get herself lost or caught. _

"_Amateurs, they're all the same." He muttered to himself. He had feelings for her, yes, but that didn't mean he didn't hate being stuck in Neverland with someone who couldn't even find her way to her bedroom properly let alone their designated mission. He traipsed through the trees and shrubbery, tracking the group of forest dwellers quite easily. _

_The sun was low beyond the mountain when Zexion reached Peter's camp. He had taken a few wrong turns but had found his way eventually. He made it to the camp as Peter, Wendy and the lost boys were eating their supper in a hollow that served as their dining room. He decided to take the opportunity to see if he could find any sign of Sirix while they were occupied. He approached a group of huts that served as sleeping quarters and searched them one by one. There was no sign of Sirix. He saw a large tree that seemed to be hollow. He found a large gap in the trunk and cautiously lowered himself down, dropping to the bottom of what he guessed was some sort of crude anti chamber. There, in the centre of the room lay Sirix, appearing to be asleep._

"_Merciful mother of Darkness. Please let her be alright." Zexion muttered, moving to her side to check her vital signs hastily. Her skin was cold to touch and Zexion wondered just how long she'd been out for. _

"_Come on Sirix, wake up you foolish girl." There was no movement in response to his words._

"_She's been put to sleep by magic. So she can heal. Cubby hit her on the head with a rock and she got knocked out." Zexion turned to see Peter standing at the bottom of the chute. "You're from the Organization aren't you? I recognise the clothes. We haven't had any heartless problems lately." Peter's confrontation shocked Zexion. Not many people confronted them like that. He usually avoided contact with the locals. He cursed Sirix for getting attacked._

"_I'm here for another matter; the island has shifted and created a new area. I'm here to investigate." Peter folded his arms across his chest._

"_You'll need a guide then. Slightly knows this island as good as any of us. And he has nothing to do tomorrow. He'll guide you." Peter said decisively. Zexion stared at him._

"_Tomorrow? But we need to be gone before then." He explained impatiently._

"_She won't wake up before then, its either you go on by yourself or you wait until tomorrow and have Slightly guide both you and the girl to your destination. It won't be safe before then in any case." Peter explained, looking at Sirix with a slightly piteous gaze. Zexion let out a sigh._

"_Ok." He said simply and Peter nodded._

"_I have to go back. I'll leave you here; I trust you'll make a good decision for your friend." With that he left. Zexion sighed and brushed a strand of hair away from Sirix's face._

"_I'm sorry to do this to you Sirix, but the mission needs to be done and as soon as possible. I'll be back to get you before this time tonight." He whispered and pressed his lips gently to her forehead, before leaving the anti chamber, pulling out a communicator in the process._

"_Saix, I'm going on the mission alone. Sirix was injured before we reached our destination."  
>"Where is she now?"<br>"She is in the care of Peter. I'm just leaving the camp now. I'll hopefully be finished the mission by this time tomorrow. I'll be in touch." He signed off and tucked the communicator into his pocket. He slipped out of the camp unnoticed._

I woke slowly and with a massive headache. Where was I? What had happened? And why was I once again in a place with only a vague recollection of who I was? I sat up slowly, looking around. It was dark, and took my eyes a few moments to adjust. Where was this place? It looked like some underground cavern. I saw what seemed to be an exit point and made my way towards it warily.

Strong light blinded me as I climbed out of what would seem to be the hollow of a tree. I saw a group of children, ranging from five years to thirteen, playing some sort of game. They had sticks and were hitting each other with them, chanting and laughing. Did they find the pain funny? Perhaps they weren't hitting each other hard. It was probably best to avoid them. I tried to stealthily move past them, failed.

"Hey you're awake!" It was a voice I vaguely recognised. Was it a dream that I'd had? Where was I? I spun around and found myself face to face with Peter.

"Your friend was here last night." I lost all caution when he mentioned Zexion.

"Zexion... was... here? Where is he now?" I asked slowly. I'd come to think that if he found me, he'd be waiting to go on the mission with me. Peter tossed a ball in the air, throwing it at a tree.

"Well you see... he went on without you. You were knocked out and Tink used her pixie dust to put you in a healing sleep. He said something about how the mission needed to be completed today and when I came back to check on you, he was gone. He did leave this behind though." He pulled an item out of the leather pouch slung across his chest and handed it to me. I recognised it immediately. It was my locket. I hadn't seen it since one of my previous missions, in Sherwood Forest. I didn't know what had happened to it, or how Zexion had found it, but I guess that didn't matter. I felt empty. He had left without waiting for me to wake up.

"He... left without me?" I asked him. Peter nodded.

"Yeah, but hey, now that you're awake you can hang out with us!" He said, trying to cheer me up. I bit my lip and shook my head.

"No, I have to follow him. It is my mission as well. I won't let him do it alone." I said defiantly. I turned to go but he grabbed my arm.

"You can't go! It's dangerous and you don't know your way! Your friend left without you because you were injured. Don't you think that if he wanted you to go with him he would have waited?" He asked, trying in vain to get me to stay. He only succeeded in making me angry.

"That's exactly why I must go. He is my partner. I can't just leave him to do everything!" I said, and ran off.

"Come back! You're not fully recovered yet!" He called after me. I ignored him and kept running, tripping up over rocks and roots.

I tried to find Zexion, but within two hours of walking, I ended up wandering aimlessly around the forest. The sun was getting higher in the sky, reaching the midday point. The humidity was getting really bad. I found myself in another empty clearing, with no sign of Zexion.

"Well, I'm well and truly lost. I'll never find Zexion at this rate." I said to myself, brushing back my bangs and sitting down on a fallen tree stump. No sooner had I begun to dwell on what to do next when I heard the clamour of footsteps and the clank of metal. The sounds of swords being drawn behind me made me turn. I looked to see a group of pirates behind me, cutlasses drawn and pointed at me. They had me surrounded.

"Well lookey here boys, we got ourselves a mermaid out of water." One of them sneered. The other pirates laughed and guffawed, as pirates do. I stared at them, trying to think of a way out of this mess.

"I think you'll find I'm not a mermaid." I said, a little angrily. I didn't want to be captured by pirates on top of everything else. I had enough issues as it was. When they began to advance, I stood and summoned my blades, crossing them in front of me to form a barrier of protection from them. They took a step back.

"What was that? How did you do that?"  
>"She's a witch!"<br>"A witch? What should we do?" The pirate crew murmured such things for a few minutes before a muscular man with a shaved head and many tattoos grinned.

"We take her to the captain. He'll know what to do with her." Before I knew what was happening, they had hold of me. They placed shackles on my wrists and made me walk at sword point to the cove, where their ship floated on the calm sea.

They led me along the deck and opened a hatch in the deck and forced me down a ladder. They hauled me down into the depths of the hull, throwing me into a cell of some sort.

"Get in there. You'll stay in here until Cap'in decides to change that. See you later girlie, much later." They slammed the door and walked away, laughing raucously. I ran at the door, clutching the metal bars with icy fingers.

"Come back! You can't leave me in here!" I called out. Their laughter echoed through the hold and I sank down on the ground. "Why me? It's always me"

_Zexion arrived back at the lost boys camp close to five in the afternoon, the late afternoon sun filtering through the leaves of the thick forest canopy. He strode into the camp and found Peter giving Wendy flying lessons. He taped the boy's shoulder._

"_Where is she? The girl I left behind, where is she?" Peter seemed startled before casting a pleading look at Wendy and looking down sheepishly._

"_Well... you see... she left. She kept going on about how it was her mission too and then ran off." Anger flooded Zexion's face._

"_You couldn't keep track of one energetic girl for a day? She couldn't be that difficult to control compared to the children you live with!" He snapped, his anger and annoyance causing his eyes to flash dangerously. Peter cringed._

'_There's more. Tink saw her get captured... by Hook's men." He stammered. Zexion groaned._

"_So now I have to rescue her from a bunch of rowdy, drunken pirates as well as defeating a countless number of heartless just to get home? Well this is one exhausting mission." _

Footsteps brought me out of an uneasy slumber. The damp air was getting to me; my dreams had been filled with all kinds of water related monsters, each one worse than the last. I coughed and wiped the condensation from my forehead. I felt weak, like I hadn't eaten for days. The rocking of the boat made me want to be sick. I didn't know how long I'd been locked in that cell, but if the husks of dry bread were a clue, I'd say at least two days. Where was Zexion? Had he gone home without me?

"Wake up girlie, the Cap'in wants to see you up on deck." It was one of the pirates, the bald one with tattoos. He tossed a crimson red dress through the bars of my prison. "You're to change into that." I picked the dress up off the floor and held it in front of me in disdain. I didn't want to wear some dress from God-knows-where, but I had no choice. The pirate stood watching me with hungry eyes and I coughed again.

"Um, a little privacy if you please." I said. He glowered but turned around as I requested. I stripped off my clothes hastily and changed into the blood red gown, emptying the pockets of my cloak and hiding the contents of value in the bodice of the dress hastily before the guard turned around. My hair hung loose around my face, framing it and bringing out the blue specks in my violet eyes. The dress seemed to fit perfectly, even if it should seem tighter than it did. It was an old English styled gown. I felt like a prostitute. The pirate's eyes bugged out when he saw me but he had a duty to attend.

"This way girlie. We don't wanna keep Cap waitin'." He led me up onto the deck, to the captain's quarters. He knocked once on the door before opening it with a flourish.

"The girl we found in the forest on the island, sir." A man with curly black hair, streaked with silver stood and smiled. He wore clothing as crimson as my dress and when he stood, I could see he had a hook where his right hand should be.

"Ah, there you are. Thank you Jonah, you may leave us now." He dismissed the bald pirate. Hook walked around his table to get a better look at me. He ran the hook through my hair and I cringed back, pushing the man away and attempting to summon my weapons. I was shocked when it didn't work. I felt my energy level drop and I leaned against the wall for support.

"Don't touch me with that filthy appendage." I snarled, breathing deeply. Hook laughed.

"You have spirit girl. I like that. Do you have a name?" I growled softly but answered.

"Sirix. I'm guessing you're the notorious Captain Hook." I replied snarkily. He chuckled darkly.

"Aye, that would be my name. You've heard of me it would seem." He agreed. I glared at him.

"Enough of the pleasantries. What do you want with me, Hook?" I demanded. He grinned at me.

"You're going to marry my son. He needs a wife, to be his Pirate Queen, someone beautiful, with spirit, passion. You fill all those requirements. The wedding will commence this afternoon, on this here ship. Isn't it marvellous?" He asked.

"Not really. You see I'm in no particular favour of marrying your son." _Zexion where the hell are you?_ I was going to kill that boy when I saw him next. I could see the anger slowly engulf the pirate, it started in his eyes, just wild specks of fire in his gaze, and progressed to consume his entire being. He started shaking with anger and I took a step away from the man, suddenly scared. This guy was unpredictable, he was mad, he was scared of a ticking crocodile for Darkness' sake.

"You... Will... Marry him." He said every word as if it took great strength to say, enunciating every syllable and advancing on me, raising his hand to hit me. A single blow was all it took to knock me off my feet. He proceeded to try and hit me, I screamed, crawling around on the floor to escape him. I fled towards the door but just as I reached it, Hook grabbed hold of my gown and dragged me back to him.

"Just where do you think you're going little miss? I'm not finished with you. You need to learn some respect. I am the captain! You will respect me and do as I say!" His words were shouted and he raised the hook to strike. I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain of his hook slicing through flesh, but it never occurred. I opened my eyes to see someone holding the Pirate King's arm above my head.

"Father, don't do this. I think you need to rest yourself." Why did that voice sound so familiar to me? Where had I heard it before? Maybe he was one of the pirates from on the island. That would explain why he seemed familiar to me. My breathing was ragged with fear and each intake of breath tore through my chest like a knife. I tried to calm myself. I remember once I had asked Xaldin why he was never scared when he fought powerful heartless. "Because we go in this expecting to die." Why were they able to just accept whatever happened? Perhaps they were just insane like that. I made a point to ask Zexion when I got out of this. _If I ever get out of this_. Just the idea of me not ever getting out of this caused me to panic. I didn't want to be stuck here married to some freaking pirate, no matter how kind or freakishly good looking he was. Said pirate forced his father to sit in a chair, away from me, in the most kindly manner possible when forcing someone to sit down. I cringed as he approached me and offered me a hand up. My cheek throbbed where Hook had hit me and I covered it with a shaking hand, trying to quell the pain.

"Are you okay?" He asked me, kneeling by my side and looking at me intently with lilac coloured eyes. The colour seemed all too familiar but the memory escaped me before I could grasp it. A patch covered his left eye; straggly black hair was covered by a tri-cornered hat. The narrow, defined features of his face, combined with those pale eyes triggered feelings of recognition but I didn't know why. I stared at him for a moment before getting to my feet.

"I'm okay. It will take more than that to finish me off." I said, brushing the skirts of my gown off to rid them of any marks. I could have sworn I saw a smile playing on his lips.

"Yes, I suppose it would. What is your name?" He asked me. I considered telling him my original name but decided against it. I wasn't Iris anymore, hadn't been for a long time.

"Sirix. And yours?" He smiled slightly.

"Uh... Bastian. And you've met the captain... my... uh... father." His stumble made me think that maybe something wasn't quite right but I dismissed the thought. I nodded to acknowledge the fact that I had indeed met his father. He led me out of the captain's quarters, a hand holding my arm rather firmly. I was tempted to pull away and escape but I didn't. If my inability to summon my weapons was anything to go by, I wouldn't be strong enough to ward off any attackers today. Lack of nutrients was quite evident in my appearance and strength.

"Excuse me for being rude but I really just want to get away from here. I'm sure you're very nice for a pirate, but I have somewhere to be right now, and I cannot marry you." I said, pulling his hand off my arm. We'd walked along the deck to the bow of the ship. We were all alone on deck, all the other members of the crew had gone inland again.

"Why can't you?" He asked, turning me to face him. He stared at me, those blue eyes boring into mine, the recognition nagging at the back of my mind.

"Because there is someone waiting for me at home, who I think would be concerned by my absence." The look that passed over his face was one of realization.

"This person, he is your... lover?" I nodded slowly.

"Something like that. My partner, I guess you could say. I suppose, though I've never thought of it as such, that the feelings I harbour for him could be classed as bordering on love. So you see, I can't possibly marry you, I have to get back to him." The shock on Bastian's face when I spoke those words made me think I'd hurt his feelings. I coughed, feeling light headed, but I warded off the feeling. I swayed on my feet, but steadied myself by grasping the railing of the ship with two hands.

"I understand, but my father, he is very persuasive. I'd help you if I could." I opened my mouth to speak when Hook appeared from his cabin.

"Bastian, what are you doing talking to the prisoner like that for? The wedding is in fourty minutes. Go get ready! Take Sirix here to her temporary quarters!" A trio of pirates appeared from the hull of the ship and grabbed hold of me, dragging me to a cabin in the stern of the ship.

"Get your hands off me! I won't go through with this!" I screamed, struggling against their grip.

"_Superior, don't you think it's a little concerning that Ienzo and Sirix have not yet returned from their mission? It was simply a reconnaissance mission; it should not have taken them three days to complete." Vexen asked Xemnas while the amber eyed man was relaxing with a cup of coffee and a handful of reports. The Superior looked up from the report he was reading and met Vexen's gaze evenly._

"_I trust Zexion to get them home safely. I'm sure they were merely delayed by some menial task. Perhaps they were roped into helping Peter defeat Hook once more." Saix approached, a grim expression on his face._

"_Four is right Xemnas, they should have returned before now. I received a transmission from Six two days previous to inform us that the mission was complete and that he was going to collect the newest member and return to the castle. I haven't heard from him since and they've not yet reported back from Neverland. I think it's time to send in another member to find out what has happened." Xemnas stroked his chin in thought._

"_Is that so? Well perhaps you're right. Vexen, you and Xaldin shall go in search of Zexion and Sirix. I expect you to have recovered the two members by nightfall, morning at the latest. We cannot afford to lose such valuable members. If you cannot locate them by the deadline, return to the castle and we will play it by ear." He ordered. Vexen nodded._

"_Of course. I'll go and inform Xaldin of our assignment immediately."_

_Zexion checked the vital signs of the unconscious pirate prince hastily before shoving the boy back into the closet, where he had been for the last day or so. He had no idea what his plan was for saving Sirix, but he knew that he couldn't just leave her behind._

"_Terribly sorry, Bastian, but you aren't marrying my partner, under any circumstances." Hot anger was evident in his tone. He clenched his fists and tried to calm himself. It had been so hard for him to spare Hook's life when he had seen Sirix cowering on the ground. She was the most important thing to him and if he lost her... well it would be too horrible an idea to even think of. The mere sight of her weak had been enough to make him furious and want to slit that pirate's throat, but he had controlled himself. She was unwell too, thinner, paler. He had noticed straight away when he saw her. How was it that three mere days of insufficient food had affected her so badly? He glanced at his reflection in the mirror of the pirate prince's room, using illusion to change his hair colour, but keeping his general appearance the same. He needed her to recognise him. He knew she had in some retrospect, it was in her eyes when she looked at him, but not quite as much as he had hoped. He'd have to find a way to make her recognise him. He straightened the collar of his jacket and left the room, making sure his organization cloak was still hidden from view._

"_Is the girl cooperating?"Hooks voice filtered through the port hole of the captain's cabin to Vexen and Xaldin._

"_Not really sir. She tried to strangle Patrick when he locked her in the guest quarters." Vexen exchanged a glance with Xaldin._

"_That's Sirix alright. But where's Zexion?" Xaldin commented. Vexen looked through the window cautiously._

"_I don't know, but I think we had better find him soon. Sirix seems to have gotten herself in a tangle." Xaldin nodded in agreement. They had to find the two members and fast._

"Let me out! You stupid rum drinking, Nobody kidnapping, pimps! I won't marry him! I'm going to kill you when I get out of here! I'll tear you from limb to limb!" I slammed my fists against the door, pounding on it heavily. Of course, no one opened it. I yelled exasperatedly and kicked it hard. I heard footsteps outside the door and then the lock clicked and the door opened. Bastian walked in, closing the door behind him. Anger flooded through me. He was part of this stupid affair. I charged, tackling him to the ground and punching him in the face.

"You stupid jerk! Let me go!" I shouted. The shock on his face was clear as day. I continued hitting him, though my strength was quickly draining. My attack took him by surprise and he was speechless for a moment, before he grabbed my wrists and pushed me of him.

"Sirix, calm yourself. You're weak and you're wasting valuable energy. You'll need everything you have if we are going to get out of here. I can only protect you so much." His words shocked me. His voice, it was so familiar, like I'd heard it in a memory or a dream. The image it formed in my mind, pages turning, comfort. I looked into his eyes and my own widened.

"Zexion? How did you get here?" I asked, shocked, disbelieving for the most part. He grinned and dropped the slight illusion he had used to disguise himself.

"I found out from Peter that you got yourself kidnapped. It took me a while to find you, and for that I'm sorry." He apologised. I hugged him tightly, relieved to see him, glad I could stop worrying.

"It's ok. But how long have you been here?" I asked. He looked sheepish.

"Since this morning. I had to do some recon on the crew and Hook's son before i put my plan into action. I've been disguised as Bastian since." I stared at him, my eyes going wide again.

"So when I was talking to Bastian I was really talking to you? Which means you heard my rambling about my emotions." I blushed at the memory, feeling foolish as all hell. He smiled at me and brushed a strand of my hair away from my face.

"Yes, I did. I thought it was sweet. Now come on Sirix, we have to get out of here." He started to lead me away but I pulled him back to face me.

"Wait a moment." I said, stepping close to him. I kissed him gently, before pulling away. "I don't know when I'll get to do that again." I explained. He smiled slightly before opening the door.

"Come on, let's get you out of here. I don't know how much time we have before Bastian wakes up." He said, pulling me out the door, running along the deck with me staggering behind him. We didn't get far before Hook appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

"Where do you think you're going girlie? You have a wedding to attend." He said, dragging me back towards the stern. I looked about for Zexion but couldn't see him. Suddenly he appeared at the end of the ship, disguised as the pirate prince once more and seeming as if he'd been standing there waiting for me calmly for ages. I shot him a pleading look, which he replied to with a look that was supposed to stop me from worrying. Hook dragged me to Zexion and I stumbled, coughing quietly, my energy still lacking.

"are you okay?" Zexion whispered. I nodded.

"I'm fine. Just a little under the weather. I'll be okay." I reassured him quietly, so Hook wouldn't hear.

"_Do you, Bastian, take this girl to be your lawfully wedded wife until death claims you in her embrace?" Hooks voice rang out through the still air around the ship, seeming incredibly loud to Vexen and Xaldin who had taken refuge in the ship's hull. They watched in abject horror as their comrades were forced to join in holy matrimony, though they didn't know that Bastian was really Zexion in disguise. _

"_I do." Zexion answered, a little begrudgingly. He seemed to be impatiently waiting for something. Sirix coughed again, getting worse as the ceremony progressed. Vexen noticed that the girl was definitely thinner than she had been when they had left. Light beads of perspiration shone on her brow. She coughed again. Hook seemed to ignore her coughing._

"_And do you, Sirix, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband-" He was cut off by the door to the Pirate Prince's chambers opening and a confused Bastian stumbled out, bruised and drunken slightly._

"_Stop! That man is an imposter! He beat me up and left me to die in my closet." The drunken man said, swaying on his feet. Zexion exchanged a look with Sirix and seemed to make a decision on the spot. He cast off his illusion and Vexen and Xaldin stared in amazement. _

"_Shut up you drunken idiot. I didn't leave you to die. If I wanted you dead I would've killed you from the start." Zexion said. Hook seemed surprised and then he drew his cutlass and ordered his men to attack. _

"_Oh dear, it would seem our comrades may be in need of some assistance, Three." Vexen said to his partner. The large man laughed and stretched._

"_Naturally. Let's go kick some pirate arse." He said, climbing out of the hull and jumping into the fray._

I panicked as the pirates started to attack. I was weak, I couldn't summon my weapons, my body was on the verge of collapse and suddenly we were in a battle. I didn't want to run from the fight, that would be showing weakness, but if I stayed in the battle, I'd most certainly end up injured. As I was debating what to do, Vexen and Xaldin appeared from in the hull of the ship, brandishing their weapons with vigilance. I looked around me, watching my comrades fighting. Zexion was taking on at least three pirates, using his lexicon to subdue them and place them in a holding cell of his own making. Vexen was freezing them in prisons of ice and Xaldin was just throwing them around with mini whirl winds. This battle was child's play for them. I coughed painfully, wiping the sweat from my brow. Why did I feel so light headed? I tried to breathe deeper but every breath seemed to tear through my chest like a blade. I felt sick. I sank to my knees, clutching my chest in agony, bravely fighting the pain off, trying not to appear weak. I concentrated on my breathing. In. Out. In. Out. _It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt. You're imagining things. Ignore it._ Why was it hurting to breathe? The battle around me ceased to exist to me. I was so focused on battling the pain and weakness that I failed to notice the battle had stopped until Zexion touched me gently on the shoulder.

"It's okay now Sirix. It's over." His words were soft, kind and brought me out of my mental struggle. I looked around and saw that all the pirates were subdued and bound in an ice prison, like a cage. I knew it would take a while to melt. Zexion helped me to my feet and we left the ship. I don't know where we went exactly, more rather that we did go somewhere. Zexion had stripped off the red formal jacket and was left with the thin white shirt and his normal pants. He had refused to take them off when in disguise. I was still stuck in the crimson gown, feeling very much like a hooker stepped right out of the brothel.

"If you don't mind me saying, that outfit rather becomes you, Sirix." Xaldin said, with a big grin. I wrinkled my nose.

"I feel like a prostitute. It's so revealing, nothing at all like the standard issue Organization clothes. Its weird." I said. Xaldin laughed, even Vexen cracked a smile, which was rather unlike him. I frowned, remembering something of high importance. I turned around to face Zexion.

"Why did you leave me behind?" I demanded. He looked startled, and then sheepish.

"You were unconscious, and in a healing sleep. I wasn't going to carry you all the way to the mountain and back!" He said. I folded my arms across my chest, glaring at him.

"So? You could have waited till I woke up!" I snapped. He glared right back at me.

"We had a mission to do. I went to complete it." He snapped, getting riled up.

"Yeah, _we_ had a mission. But you made it _your_ mission. That's not exactly fair. And then you weren't there when the pirates kidnapped me! If you had've waited, that wouldn't have happened!"

"If _you_ had've stayed at Peter's camp like you were supposed to, you wouldn't have run into the pirates and gotten _yourself_ kidnapped by a bunch of drunken pirates. I had no part in that. And I did come get you!" He retorted. I stared at him, tempted to slap him.

"Yeah, two days later!" I snarled. He narrowed his eyes at me. He'd removed the patch over his left eye but his fringe had fallen over the right one again. I glared right back. "And then you went and got some ingenious idea of disguising yourself as the captains son to rescue me, rather than just busting me out like any normal person!" I continued my rant, my rage fuelling my argument. I glared at him, breathing heavily in rage, ready to snap at anyone and everyone. Suddenly he burst out laughing, taking me by surprise.

"You're so serious Sirix. I've never known anyone to get so worked up over a rescue mission before." I looked confused, as he kept laughing and then he pulled me close.

"Oh no, I think they're about to kiss. We gotta do something Vexen!" Xaldin whispered loudly. Zexion just grinned and pulled me closer. I started to cough again, all the anger gone, along with my energy.

"Can we just get home?" I asked. Vexen nodded.

"I agree. Our respective missions are complete, it's time to report to Xemnas." He glanced at me. I felt ill, my skin was burning up and I felt like I was going to pass out. "I think we had better run some tests on you, too. You don't look too well."


	4. Fight to the death

**The fifteenth member Part 4-**

"Hey Sirix, how're you feeling today?" Demyx asked as he wandered into the room Zexion and I now shared. He had his sitar in one hand and a box of chocolates in the other. "These are from me and Roxas. To remind you that we want you to get better." He handed the box to me and sat down on the end of the bed. I smiled at him. It had been a week since I'd come back from Neverland with a fever. It turned out I'd somehow managed to contract a disease while on the pirate ship, but it was only due to malnutrition, nothing contagious. Vexen had made a serum to help the healing process and I was nearly cured.

"I'm getting better. Have you come to play me another song?" I asked, closing the book I'd been reading. I'd had a lot of visitors the last week, and Demyx had made it a point to visit me at least once a day. Zexion had tried to convince him that the continuous visits weren't necessary but the boy wouldn't listen. I didn't mind much. He was good company.

"Well I was going to, but a problem occurred. You see, I was walking through the Grey room when Larxene decided to prove to the others that she could throw a knife and cut something as fine as a sitar string from ten metres away. It turns out she can. So now the Sitar is unplayable. But we can still do some awesome stuff!" He said. I laughed at his enthusiasm. He never gave up.

"Hey check out this new trick I learnt yesterday!" he said, picking up his Sitar and plucked out a cheerful tune. A ball of water formed and shaped itself into a model of the castle. I laughed, amazed at his talent. He beamed at me and played another tune, a sadder, more melancholy tune. The castle turned into Beast staring at his rose in despair. I stared, the ability of the blond Nobody seated beside me shocking me.

"That's amazing Demyx! How did you learn to do that?" I asked, awestruck. He shrugged.

"I was just playing around with my instrument and it happened. I didn't mean to at first, but when the Castle that Never Was formed, I thought I'd see what other shapes I could make. It's pretty cool, huh!" He explained. I laughed.

"Very cool. You could totally enter a talent show or something and win first prize." I said. He looked puzzled.

"You think? That'd be cool! Hey do you think Xemnas would let us have a talent show?" He asked, excited. I shrugged.

"Dunno, you'd have to ask him." Demyx jumped up, carrying his Sitar with him.

"I'm going to go ask him! See ya later Sirix!" He ran out of the door, just as Zexion came back in.

"He visiting again?" He asked, a look of boredom on his face.

"Yep. You know you don't need to worry about him visiting so often, I enjoy his company. I need someone to keep me out of boredom's grasp when you go on your missions." I said, pushing the covers of the bed away and standing up.

"You shouldn't be out of bed. You're still recovering." He said. I laughed.

"Relax, I'm fine. You sound just like my father. He always scolded me for being out of bed when I was sick." I said, making my way over to him. "_You should be in bed Iris. Your flu will get worse if you don't stay warm. Don't go wandering Iris, you'll get lost or hurt. Don't talk to strangers, they could be dangerous._" I imitated my father, laughing. Zexion seemed deep in thought.

"Iris, that's your name, isn't it? Not Sirix. You actually have a name. Because unlike us, you didn't die. You've got a family waiting for you to come home, and every day, you stay here." He sounded slightly angry, and sad. He turned away from me, clenching his fists. I touched his shoulder, forcing him to look at me.

"Hey, look at me Zexion. My name is Sirix now. I'm not Iris anymore, I haven't been for months. You guys are my family. This _is_ my home. Yes I had a life, but this is my life now and I wouldn't give it up." I said, touching his cheek gently. I let my hand rest on his cheek, forcing him to stay looking at me.

"You guys are the only things I have. Yes I had a name, a life, a family. But not anymore. My mother is long dead. She died when I was five. She'd been sick since I was born. There was just me and my dad. And now there's only you, and the Organization. I wouldn't change that for anything, not even my parents." I said. He looked me in the eyes and I felt an overwhelming urge to cry. I'd never talked about my life before the Organization. It left me feeling emotional. I dropped my hand and turned away. "So don't say stupid things, or I'll get upset." I said, walking away from him to look out the window. I knew he was trying to figure out what to say to me, but I didn't bother turning around. I leaned on the window sill, looking out at Kingdom Heart with a feeling of emptiness. I heard him sigh and leave the room. I turned around briefly to look for him, but didn't follow him.

I didn't die, he was right about that, but what _had_ happened the day I'd ended up outside Twilight Town? Had I not already been partially dead? I had a life, but had I ever been truly happy? Had not a part of me died when I fell through that nothingness? If I was so certain about what I had said to Zexion, then why was it that I felt such sorrow now I was alone? I felt a single tear trickle down my cheek, dropping onto the window sill to glisten in Kingdom Heart's glow. I watched it shimmer before turning away. I would not shed tears for the past. I was stronger than that.

"Hey has anyone seen Xemnas? I want to ask him something." I asked, wandering into the living room where Larxene, Roxas, Xigbar and Marluxia were relaxing.

"Nope, sorry. I think he went on a mission." Marluxia said in his slow, seductive voice. I let out a sigh of defeat.

"Great, now I'll have to wait for him to come back." Marluxia sat up from his lounging position and walked over to me, putting an arm around my shoulders.

"If you don't mind me asking, Rixy my dear, why do you need to see the Superior so urgently? It wouldn't have anything to do with the almost wedding in Neverland would it?" He implied. I moved his arm away from me.

"No it wouldn't. It's a personal matter, nothing for you to concern yourself with, Marluxia,and I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me Rixy. That would imply that I'm your friend, which I most certainly am not." My tone was cold, but he deserved it. I had copped nothing but teasing from the rose haired man since I arrived back in the castle. He acted hurt, an amused look on his feminine features.

"Ouch, Rixy babe that's harsh. I think you've been hanging out with Zexy a bit too much. He's rubbing off on you." I glared at him, a death threat on my lips when Luxord entered.

"Marly, are you harassing Sirix again? You know Zexion will get his killing stick out if he finds out you been irritating his woman. I swear she's the only thing he actually gives a damn about. Everything else is second to him." The Gambler of Fate grinned winningly and pulled a deck of cards from his sleeve.

"Can I interest you in a game, Sirix? I'll go easy." He said, smiling a winning smile. I shook my head.

"No thank you Luxord. I have things to do. Maybe some other time." I said, walking out.

"Killjoy." I heard him mutter as I left. I laughed and kept walking, waving to them as I did so. I didn't know what I was doing. Thoughts ran through my head. Why was I with the organization? I couldn't go home, could I? Zexion had made it seem like a choice, but when my father had warned me, he said I couldn't leave if they found me. Who was right and who was wrong? Did my previous life matter anymore?

With these thoughts turning circles in my head I made a decision to get out of the castle. I needed to clear my mind.

"_Where's Sirix?" Roxas asked, walking into the training courtyard where Saix and Xaldin were sparring. Lexaeus and Marluxia were training on the opposite side of the courtyard, almost perfectly silent, except for the occasional grunts of effort from the two men when they landed a blow. Saix landed a blow on Xaldin, winding him and he turned to the younger member._

"_She said she needed to clear her head. I'd say she went to Twilight town. That's usually what she does. Don't be too worried." Roxas made a face._

"_I'm not worried. Just bored. Axel got sent on a mission again and I have no one to hang out with." He explained. Xaldin laughed._

"_Oh, the youngling is bored. That's such a dilemma, what ever shall we do Seven?" He asked mockingly, ruffling Roxas's hair playfully. The boy glared at him and self consciously ran a hand through his hair, trying to fix it._

"_Stop that. It's not funny. Whatever, I'm going to find something to do." He said, and walked off._

The streets of twentieth century London were busy with children and adults alike. They all wore civil clothing, corsets and the like. I stared around me in amazement, not sure what was going on. I wandered for a little bit, passing a man chasing a trio of dogs with a net, two dogs seeming to be sharing a plate of spaghetti bolognaise and many other unusual sights. My guess was that I'd accidently portalled to the wrong world when my head was a jumble of thoughts and ended up in some random world much like the one I was from, only an earlier time period. Everything was polite and civil. Nothing garishly revealing here. I wandered aimlessly, taking in the sights and sounds, mentally recording every detail. I was driven out of my reverie by the sound of yelling. I could hear children crying, yelling, gruff voices. I ran around the corner to see two stern policemen dragging a teenage boy away from a little girl who could be no older than five. The boy was reaching for the little girl, struggling against the policemen.

"NO! You can't take me away from her! We've got no one anymore! Don't take me to the workhouse!" The boy's voice was thick with emotion, and hoarse from yelling. The little girl was crying. "Run Abby! Run as fast as you can!" The little girl did as the boy instructed her to, running past me and into the shadows. I watched in horror as the boy was dragged into the back of a paddy wagon and led off to some unknown destination. I felt so sorry for him, and the little girl. Involuntary tears filled my eyes and I wiped them away. I wanted to help them if I could.

I found the little girl huddled in a shadowy doorway. She stared up at me with big green eyes, huddling close to the door in fear. I knew what she was feeling from experience. Fear was something I knew well. I crouched down beside her, holding out a cookie I'd swiped from a baker's stall during my search for the little girl.

"Hey there. Are you hungry?" I asked in a soft voice, trying to befriend her. "Go on, take it, it's okay. I won't hurt you." I held out the cookie near her, waiting patiently for her to accept the offering. She hesitated before reaching out and snatching the cookie out of my hand, nibbling on it tenaciously. I smiled.

"Do you have any parents?" I asked. She paused in her nibbling and shook her head.

"I'm Sirix, do you have a name?" I asked softly.

"Abby. I don't have anyone, 'cept Johnny, and the policemens took him away to the workhouse." Tears filled the little girl's eyes and her bottom lip started to tremble. I acted on impulse and pulled her into a gentle hug. She snuggled into my cloak, sniffling. I felt so confused, and sorry for her. She needed someone to look after her.

"Where are you from, miss?" She asked me after a moment. I smiled softly.

"A place far away from here, in a big house with lots of people. You never have to do any work there. They're all really nice, except one or two of them. They look after me I guess." I explained kindly. Her eyes lit up at my description of the castle that never was.

"Are they your family? Like Johnny and me?" She asked. I had to think about that momentarily.

"Yeah, I guess they are. Would you like to meet them Abby?" I asked her. The girl nodded furiously. I smiled.

"What on earth are you doing Sirix?" Zexion's voice from the doorway made me jump. I spun around, a look of surprise on my face.

"Nothing, I'm not doing anything, what a stupid question. Should I be doing something?" I asked. My words came out too fast, tumbling over one another. He frowned, a suspicious look clouding his features.

"No... I could've sworn I heard you talking to someone." He said, stepping closer to me. I took a step back, my hands behind my back.

"No, I'm not talking to anyone. It must be your imagination getting to you. You're probably tired from your mission. You should go and get something to eat." I urged him, trying to usher him out the door. He stepped closer still.

"What are you trying to hide Sirix?" He asked slowly, intrigued by the mystery. I shook my head, pushing him away with my hands.

"Hide? I'm not hiding anything. But you really should go grab something to eat." I urged him. He held his ground, pushing past me.

"If that's the case than why won't you let me-" He trailed off as Abby poked her head around my cloak, looking much cleaner than when I had met her. "What is that?" Zexion demanded. I drew the little girl in front of me, holding her hand.

"This is Abby. She's an orphan." I explained, keeping to the point. I knew the look on his face. He was ready to explode. He took two deep breaths, an effort to control his temper.

"An. Orphan? From where?" He asked slowly in order to keep his temper in check. I bit my lip.

"Twentieth century London." I saw the anger and frustration in his eyes and moved quickly to stand in front of him, shielding the girl and grabbing his hands.

"She was all alone Zexion! They took her brother away to the workhouse! I couldn't leave her there! You have to understand." I pleaded before he could get a word in. I looked up at him with wide eyes, pleading not only with my words but with my body language as well. He pulled his hands out of my grasp and raked a hand through his hair.

"Sweet merciful mother of darkness, Sirix. Why did you have to go adopt an orphan? You know Xemnas won't be pleased. I suggest you take her back to where you got her from and leave it at that." He said, his back to me. I stared at him.

"I couldn't do that Zexion! She's just a kid. Please, just let her stay. She won't be any trouble." I pleaded. He sighed in defeat.

"Fine, but you'll have to let Xemnas know at some point. If he makes you take her back, I can't do anything about it. It's up to him if she stays." He said. I smiled and hugged him, before turning to Abby.

"Come on, let's introduce you to everyone." She smiled shyly and followed me as I wandered around the castle to find everyone.

_Zexion groaned. This could be a very interesting change of events. He created a portal to Vexen's lab, stepping through. If he knew Sirix, she probably wouldn't ask Xemnas until the last moment. He needed to talk to his mentor, before he went mad._

"_Well hello Ienzo. This is a surprise. I should think you'd be with Fifteen, not paying me a visit." Vexen said without turning around from the computer monitor he was looking at. Zexion sighed._

"_I was with her, she has... well... decided to do one of the worst things possible." He said in resignation. Vexen turned around, a look of mild interest on his face. _

"_How so?" He asked, knowing his student would end up telling him anyway._

"_She's adopted an orphan." He muttered. Vexen raised his eyebrows, a small smile on his face._

"_And that is the worst thing possible? I think you should rearrange your priorities Ienzo. There are much worse things than that. How old is this orphan." Zexion sat down on a lab chair, running a hand through his mauve hair again._

"_I don't know, five or six maybe. I wasn't really focusing on the child's age when I found out. I don't want to cause Sirix any emotional harm, but I highly doubt Xemnas will approve of this. I'm certain that a child will just get in the way of our goal." Vexen chuckled, a rare sound for someone with his general demeanour._

"_It really sounds to me that you're just scared of responsibility, Six. Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. It could be a good test of character." He said, earning a glare from Zexion. The taller man smirked and stood up from his perch on a chair similar to the one Zexion was using. _

"_At any rate, if Xemnas is fine with it, I see no reason to fret." A sheepish look crossed Zexion's features. Vexen raised an eyebrow._

"_You haven't cleared it with Xemnas?" the younger man bit his lip, mimicking Sirix's habit._

"_Not exactly. And it's not my responsibility to clear it with him. Hell, the child isn't my responsibility at all." He said, temper simmering. Vexen folded his arms across his chest, leaning against his lab table._

"_On the contrary, being Sirix's partner makes you the adoptive father of the child in question. She is, in all aspects, your responsibility too." Zexion ground his teeth in frustration. He had gone to see his mentor in the hope that the man would be able to help him, not destroy his morals and make him feel guilty. _

"_Well if that's all the support I'm getting from you, I may just as well go elsewhere. Perhaps Lexaeus will be more helpful on the matter." Vexen drummed his fingers against his forearms, the remnants of a smirk still on his features. _

"_Oh you wanted advice? Why didn't you say so? I suggest you allow her to indulge in this. We know that she'll probably never get the chance to look after a child again, particularly if she stays with the Organization." He noticed the confused look on Zexion's face. Sighing, he stood properly and walked over to Zexion, wondering it was that such a brilliant mind at some times could be so impossibly thick at others. _

"_What do you mean by that, Vexen?" He asked. _

"_Well you aren't likely to copulate with her any time soon are you? She is unlikely to bare children during her time with us if you two do not. And you know as well as I that she is just as likely to make it out of the organization alive as she is to kill Sephiroth." The Chilly Academic said bluntly. Zexion stared at his superior member in abject horror. Why did the man always have to be so straight forward? He pulled a face, horror spreading across his features, followed quickly by realisation. He nodded, standing up._

"_You're right. Thanks for the advice." He said, walking out._

"Pass it to me!" Axel called out, waving his arms in the air as myself and four other members raced around the training courtyard, passing a ball around to their team mates. Xaldin shoulder barged the redhead, laughing.

"As if Flamo, you're not on my team." He shouted, tossing the ball to Xigbar. The sharpshooter caught it mid-air, jumping to catch it. Luxord sprinted after him, tackling him for the ball. He was caught in a flurry of wind that slammed him to the ground, causing the ball to skitter and land at my feet. I picked it up and pegged it at the portal that was a few metres away. It sailed in and I was caught in an embrace involving Xigbar, Xaldin and myself. Abby clapped from the sidelines. Luxord limped over to us, a scowl on his face.

"No fair. You cheated Xaldin. You used your ability." He complained. Axel and Roxas walked over, sweat beading on their brows.

"There was no rule to say we couldn't. You're just a sore loser Luxord." Xaldin said, grinning. Luxord scowled deeper. I spotted Xemnas walking over to us and my elated mood dropped away quickly. I still hadn't run Abby's residing with us with Xemnas yet.

"Uh, let's call it a day guys. I'm beat." I suggested. The others agreed, dispersing to cool down. Xemnas approached me and I bit my lip, gathering Abby close. The little girl stared in awe at Xemnas, her green eyes taking in his height and air of authority.

"Fifteen, I've had reports from Larxene and Vexen that you've brought a human to our home. Is this true?" He asked, clearly not seeing Abby by my side. I swallowed nervously, biting my lip. I nodded.

"Yes superior. But I had good cause to. Her name is Abby, she's only a kid. She's an orphan Xemnas. Please let her stay." I begged him, explaining hastily and hoping he would agree. I bit my lip and Abby clung to my hand tightly. Xemnas considered my request for a few moments, before shaking his head.

"I'm afraid I can't Sirix. She belongs in her own world." I hung my head sadly, nodding and admitting defeat. Abby's eyes filled with tears. I bent down and picked her up, cradling her against me. She was only tiny compared to many five year olds I knew.

"It's ok. Don't cry. We'll find a family to look after you." I locked eyes with Xemnas, pleading with him to do at least that much. I had known deep down that she wouldn't be able to stay, but part of me had hoped. The amber eyed man sighed, nodding. I smiled thankfully, but sadly. She'd be okay now, she'd have a family. Xemnas had promised, though not verbally, it was still a promise.

They took her back to London the next day. I gave her a necklace, so she wouldn't forget me.

**Two weeks later...**

"You're still upset about Abby aren't you?" Zexion asked, walking up behind me. I was staring out the window. I turned around to look at him.

"A little. But I'm okay. I'm sure she's happy. I was thinking about my friends and family from before." I explained. He nodded, understanding.

"What were they like?" He asked. I shrugged, turning back to the window.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Lizzie and EmJay were my two best friends. Always funny, spirited, life of the party kind of girls. We were all into music. We had a band with a guy, Jerry. He played guitar. Lizzie was the drummer, EmJay, the singer. I was bassist. The night I came here we'd just had a rehearsal. We had finally got our first proper gig at a club. I was walking home when this heartless appeared from nowhere while I was cutting across the park. I didn't know what it was. I ran, though it chased me. I somehow got to some construction sight. I tripped in the dark and fell into a hole... and woke up here." I said, more to myself than him. "Sometimes I wonder if they miss me. Have they even noticed I'm gone?" I murmured. My thoughts caused my chest to tighten with emotion. I clenched my fists. I wouldn't cry again. It was time I grew up. Zexion took my hand.

"Come on Sirix. You need to rest. Come to bed." He led me by the hand, back to the bed. I sat on the edge, too emotional to sleep. He seemed to sense my tense emotions and he turned me to look at him.

"You're always so emotional. I think you need a break from your conscience." He said. I had no idea what he meant, until he started kissing me. He was hesitant in his actions. Despite having been together for two months or so, we hadn't ever really progressed beyond sharing a bed, so his touching me so intimately without me leading the actions was a new step for both of us. I pulled away slightly.

"What are you doing?" I asked in a low whisper. He gave me a slightly crooked smile which I could just make out in the dark.

"I think we've been exchanging pleasantries in this relationship long enough. We need to move past the awkward stage." He said, removing his cloak to reveal the bare skin of his chest. My eyes widened in realisation as he moved close to me.

"I don't really know what to do." I whispered. He laughed quietly, pulling me close to him. I could feel his breath on my skin, hear the shallow breathing that gave away his nerves.

"That makes two of us. I guess we'll figure it out." He said, kissing me. I smiled briefly, knowing the shadows would conceal my nervousness.

I was woken by a loud shout from the doorway. Lexaeus, the usually silent member of the Organization, stood in the open doorway, a horrified expression on his face. I was still out of it, having only just woken up. The light from the door was dazzling. Zexion muttered something incomprehensible, complaining about the light and noise.

"What's wrong?" He grumbled, sitting up, rubbing his eyes.

"You tell me. Because I can't seem to comprehend what I'm seeing with my own eyes." Lexaeus said. Zexion seemed confused. I sat up slowly, forgetting the events of the night before briefly before I realised that I was incredibly cold. I looked around, bleary eyed, my vision clearing quickly. I realised why I was cold. I wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing, except a black bra. I let out a small squeak of horror and yanked the blankets up to my neck. Zexion glanced over at me and his eyes widened.

"Ah, well... you see..." He searched for an explanation, but could find none. Lexaeus had thoughtfully averted his eyes when I'd momentarily forgotten myself.

"I'll wait outside." Was all he said before walking out, closing the door behind him. I bit my lip, glancing around the room. Sure enough, there were my clothes. Lying scattered around the room, with Zexion's.

"I suppose I'd better get dressed." I said. Zexion nodded. It was awkward, but not necessarily a bad awkward. It was just that we were both coming to terms with what had happened. Zexion made his way into the bathroom, closing the door. I heard the shower turn on and I bit my lip. I hoped it wasn't anything more than us coming to terms with the previous night. Refusing to dwell on such thoughts I stood up, a little shaky but otherwise, seemingly fine. I was dressed and feeling a little less sick from nerves when Zexion stepped out of the bathroom, zipping up his cloak. He didn't really look at me, instead he opened the door to see Lexaeus waiting patiently.

"Sorry about that. Did you have a message for us?" He asked, composed now that he'd had a chance to think things through. I tried not to blush under Lexaeus's questioning gaze.

"For Sirix only. Xemnas wanted me to inform you that you'll be working with Larxene today." My eyes widened in horror. To have to work with Larxene, the one member that seemed to really despise me, was a nightmare. But what could I do about it? Xemnas had spoken. I nodded, accepting the mission. This could be very interesting.

"Hurry up Weaver. You're taking an age. Seriously, I want to be home before the deadline if possible. You taking a century to get to our destination won't help that any." The Savage Nymph's voice was sharp, indicating that she really didn't want to be there with me. I pulled a face, poking my tongue out at her back, but hurrying all the same.

"You know just because you've been with the organization longer than me, doesn't mean you can order me around." I said, running to catch up with her. She stopped and turned to me.

"Actually it does. Higher rank, equals better than you, which means I can order you around." She said bitchily. I glared at her.

"What the hell is your problem Larxene?" I demanded, folding my hands across my chest. She walked up close to me, looking down on me.

"You want to know what my problem is? I'll tell you what my problem is. My problem is you. You shouldn't exist. You're a conniving, distracting, useless, bitch. I never wanted you in the organization. I told Xemnas you were a mistake. When he let you join I was tempted to kill you. You shouldn't have been born. You're a mistake!" She said, pushing me off my feet. I landed heavily on the ground, the wind knocked out of me. I sat, stunned as the woman fumed, towering over me.

"Just go home Weaver." She said, storming off, but not before casting a portal. I pulled myself to my feet, still in shock. I picked up a rock and threw it at her, without even thinking about it. It hit her in the back of the head, hard. She stopped in her tracks, turning slowly, clenching her fists.

"Did you just throw that at me?" She demanded, anger evident in her tone and on her face. When I said nothing she ran at me. "You stupid whore!" She shouted, summoning her weapons. We fell through the portal appearing in the grey room. I punched her, defending myself by blocking her punches. She tried to stab me in the chest but I grabbed her by the wrists, forcing her knives away from me, straining with her. I was surprised by her strength. She was definitely stronger than she looked. I suddenly lost my grip on her arm and i felt the knife slip, slitting the side of my waist. I gasped in shock of the pain, feeling hot blood seep through my clothes. The pain seared through my body, a hot, angry pain that caused me to cry out.

"You bitch!" I hissed with what little breath I could muster. I used a sudden rush of adrenaline to push the other female off of me. I crawled away, bleeding and gasping for breath. I heard a shout of anger behind me and Larxene threw herself at me, knocking me to the ground.

"I'm not done with you yet wench!" She snarled, pushing me onto my back, holding me down with one arm over my throat, a knee in my abdomen. She raised one of her knives and plunged it into my side. I screamed in agony, my eyes widening in pain and realisation. _She intends to kill me. Oh my god she is going to kill me, and there's nothing I can do._ I panicked and clutched at her arm, trying to pull her arm away so I could breathe. I couldn't budge her. I struggled to breathe, clawing at her arm. She stabbed my body multiple times. I cried out each time, tears welling in my eyes. The murderous gleam in her eyes scared me. I was going to die right here on the floor of the grey room, and I could do nothing about it. If I didn't die by her hands directly I would from the blood loss. As she raised the bloodied knife above my heart, I reached out in a desperate attempt and clung to the thought of her spirit. I connected with her anger, following the threads with my mind, unravelling them, causing her mental agony. She screamed and dropped the knife. I heard voices, felt people rushing around, hands grabbing at me.

"Sirix, Sirix, it's okay, you can stop now. You're okay now." I heard a gentle, yet forceful voice. I lost my concentration and my connection with Larxene's spirit faded. Lexaeus held me in his arms, gently lifting me off the ground. My vision blurred in and out of focus. I clung to the larger man's cloaked shoulders for support, shaking.

"Am I dying?" I asked in a soft voice. I could barely hear my own words. My blood stained my clothes. I felt my consciousness threatened to fade and I fought it.

"Hush Sirix. You'll be fine. Just save your strength. We've got to get you lying down and treated before Zexion gets back from his mission. If he finds out he'll snap." The Silent Hero said, carrying me to Vexen's lab.

I sat on the kitchen bench, a bottle of straight vodka in my hand. I had bandages wrapped around my waist, staunching any additional bleeding. I looked up slightly when Zexion walked into the kitchen. He took one look at my bruised face and body and was over by my side in an instant.

"What are you doing?" He demanded. I raised the bottle.

"Getting drunk. What does it look like?" I replied. He took the bottle off me, turning it around to read the label. He put the bottle down and grabbed my arm, examining my cuts and bruises.

"What happened Sirix? Did something happen on your mission?" I winced and pulled my arm away, the cuts stinging.

"Yeah something happened. Larxene fucking stabbed me that's what happened. So I'm getting drunk." Anger crossed his features. I rolled my eyes. He was overreacting again. I picked the bottle up again, swigging it down, trying not to cough.

"She stabbed you? Where?" He demanded. I shook my head.

"It's nothing, Mr Scientist dude patched me up good. The bleeding's almost stopped and the wounds are almost healed." I said, knowing even in my alcohol hazed state that he would overreact. He didn't listen.

"_Wounds?_ As in Plural? Just how many times did she stab you, Sirix?" He demanded. I cursed myself for my slip up. I'd made things worse. I didn't answer. He moved to pull me off the bench, touching my side. I winced, flinching away from his touch. That one was still sore. He frowned.

"Sirix. Answer me, how many times did she stab you?" I shook my head, biting my tongue, refusing to answer. He pulled my singlet up, to see the bandages around my waist. Anger flushed his face, he let my shirt drop and clenched his fists.

"Where is she?" He demanded. I recognised the danger in his voice. Hastily I stood up and grabbed his arm, putting the alcohol bottle on the bench.

"Zexion, don't. She's in really bad shape. Leave it alone. Xemnas is dealing with her." I pleaded, defending the girl from him despite the fact that she had almost killed me. I was ashamed. It was my actions that had put her in bad shape. I almost killed her. I didn't tell him that. My hands gripped his arm tightly, stopping him from leaving.

"Why shouldn't I just go in there and cause her the agony she caused you?" He demanded. I pulled him closer to me, looking up at him, anger flashing with remorse in my eyes.

"Because then Xemnas would punish you. Besides, he's dealing with her. Don't get involved Zexion. It's bad enough as it is." I advised him, pleading. He sighed in resignation.

"Alright. But I think you should go rest. And lay off the vodka. I don't need a rowdy drunken Nobody in my room keeping me up all night." He said, making me laugh. I saluted him mockingly.

"Sir yes Sir, Sir." I shot him a grin and he just rolled his eyes.

"Hurry up and get out of my sight woman. Or next time I'll be the one stabbing you." He said, pushing me out the door, rolling his eyes. I grinned again. So maybe I was a little drunk. What did it matter? It dulled the pain. I crawled into bed, relishing the soft feel of the covers. I fell to sleep quickly, not a single thought in my head.

_Zexion strode to Vexen's lab, knowing that if something had happened to Larxene as Sirix had indicated then the girl would be in Vexen's lab. He walked into the lab, much resembling an angry big cat. Vexen turned around and Zexion grabbed him by the lab coat._

"_Where the hell is she Vexen?" He demanded. The older man simply regarded him with a cold look, removing his hands from his lab coat. _

"_Somewhere you will not find her Zexion. We knew you would react like this. Xemnas is looking after her." He said calmly. The Schemer clenched his fists, fighting back his temper. His mentor turned his back on the boy, returning to his work. Zexion glowered._

"_What is that supposed to mean? Was she injured?" He demanded, turning around as Xaldin entered the lab through a side door that connected to the lab. He heard Larxene's voice, and Xemnas's. Frowning he moved over to the door. Xaldin stopped him._

"_Don't go in there Zexion. It is not something you want to see. She's messed up real bad." He said, stopping the shorter man from entering the isolation room. He saw Larxene rocking backwards and forwards, clutching her knees to her chest, before the door clicked shut. His anger faded into shock._

"_What happened to her? Why is she like that?" He asked. Xaldin folded his arms across his chest._

"_Sirix happened. When Larxene went to kill her, she connected with Larxene's spirit. She unravelled her soul. And her mind. Xemnas is trying to fix it, but he can't figure out what to do." He said grimly. The shock of what Sirix had done hit Zexion like a tidal wave. How could it be that such a seemingly weak girl could have caused such damage to one of her own kind? _

"_Sirix... did this? But how? Larxene is better trained, can wield her weapons better, and Sirix didn't even mar her, yet she's sitting in there like a lunatic." Xaldin shifted uncomfortably._

"_She used her ability on her in a desperate attempt to save her own life. Larxene was going to kill her if she hadn't. I fear that the only thing we can do is dispose of Larxene. If Xemnas can't find a way to heal her then it will be our only choice." His words were like a ton of bricks crashing down on all of them in that room. Despite her being a giant bitch, Larxene was one of their own. To lose her would hinder their cause greatly. _

"_Does Sirix know what she did?" Zexion asked quietly. Xaldin shook his head._

"_Not to the extent. Xemnas hasn't let her near Larxene for fear of the damage it would cause. Sirix has an extremely sensitive character; we don't know how the knowledge of what she did to Larxene will affect her. It could shatter her. And we don't know the impact it would have on Larxene either. It could utterly destroy her beyond repair. We can't risk the loss of any more members." Xaldin explained. Vexen made his way over to his two other members._

"_Speaking of Fifteen, how is she doing? I haven't seen her since I treated her wounds."_

"_She's fairly shaken up." Zexion said. Vexen raised an eyebrow, enquiring silently as to how he knew that. _

"_I walked in on her getting drunk in the kitchen. She was definitely trying to block out her emotions." Xaldin cracked a smile._

"_Well that would be an interesting sight. Just how drunk did she get?" He asked. Zexion shrugged, giving him a weird look._

"_Not very, but enough to be tipsy. She went to the room before she got too drunk."_

"_Perhaps you should go check on her. Her wounds won't be fully healed for another few weeks. And I want to do regular tests for a month or so. You can never be too careful." Vexen suggested. "There's nothing you can do right now. We'll let you know of the developments." Zexion nodded and left the lab._

When I finally woke up it was to see Zexion lifting my singlet. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Isn't it a little early to be trying to take my clothes off?" I joked. He went slightly red and let my shirt drop.

"That's not what I was doing. I was going to check your wounds." He explained, the red flush creeping up his cheeks. I laughed and kissed him lightly.

"It's okay, I believe you. I was only joking. You really need to lighten up more Zexy." I teased him, sitting up. A pang of pain hit me and a gasp escaped my lips. I saw the look of concern crossing his features. He moved to support me, despite the fact that I was sitting. I waved him away, gritting my teeth.

"I'm okay. Just a little stiff. Nothing for you to worry about." I reassured him. I saw something in his eyes, a look of sadness, shock, and something else. Was that fear? I reached a hand out to touch him and he flinched away.

"What's the matter? What happened?" I asked, hurt. When he didn't answer i frowned. "You saw Larxene didn't you?" I said quietly. The guilty look on his face said it all. I turned away from him.

"If you're worried about me stealing your spirit threads you don't need to be. I'm not a monster." I snapped, standing up and making my way to the bathroom. "I only attack people that want to kill me." I added angrily, slamming the door and locking it.

"Sirix! Sirix, open the door. You know that's not true. I know you won't hurt me." His voice was muffled by the door.

"Just go away and plot my disposal. I'm dangerous, something to be destroyed before I destroy you!" I said, my voice becoming thick with emotion, tears spilling down my cheeks. I curled up in a ball in the corner, my knees pulled up to my chest. He hammered on the door.

"Sirix that is not true and you know it. Open this door!" he shouted. I ignored him. I heard footsteps walking away, hoped he'd just given up. Just as I thought I wouldn't have to worry about him coming back I heard his footsteps returning. The sound of a key turning in the lock startled me and suddenly the door opened to reveal Zexion standing in the doorway. He made his way over to my side.

"Sirix, you know damn well that I don't think that. If I thought that I wouldn't have gotten involved with you in the first place. You have to believe me." He said, kneeling beside me. He took hold of my arm, trying to pull me to my feet. I resisted him tugging my arm away, falling sidewards in my actions. I steadied myself, and was about to resume my defensive position when he stopped me. He pressed his lips to mine in a sudden attempt to prove his point.

"Do you believe me now?" He murmured to me. I was silent, trying to figure everything out. I was putting together everything I knew about Larxene's condition and piecing an idea together with that information. Suddenly it hit me.

"They won't let me near Larxene, for fear of the damage it could cause. They won't just let her go. They'll try to heal her, but they can't. They'd have to piece her mind together and to do that they'd need an ability like the one I used to destroy her. I can fix it. Zexion, you have to let me go to her. I can fix what I did." I pleaded, looking him in the eyes. He shook his head.

"I can't. Xemnas will kill me. What if you end up making things worse instead of better?" He asked quietly.

"You just have to believe me. Please." I begged. I had to fix what I'd done. If there was the slightest chance I could undo what I'd done, I wanted to take it. He admitted defeat with a sigh, nodding meekly.

"Fine. But do it in the morning. Xemnas doesn't want her disturbed tonight." He said, pulling me to my feet. "Besides, you need rest to recover fully. If I have to chain you to the bed to sleep I will not be impressed." He threatened. I giggled foolishly, his words provoking thoughts that I was too tired to fight back. He groaned, facepalming at my reaction to his words.

"Honestly Sirix, don't you think you could maintain innocent thoughts while round me?" He asked, exasperated. I considered his request, grinning wickedly.

"Uh, nope. Sorry, I'm a teenager, it's what I do." I shrugged and walked out of the bathroom, collapsing on the bed unceremoniously. He stared at me.

"Talk about mood swings. Do you ever stay one emotion for more than ten minutes at a time?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Nope. It's fun confusing people. Especially you. You get so worked up over the simplest of things." I replied, watching him as he made his way around to his side of the bed, taking his cloak off and lying down. I crawled over to him, climbing on top of him.

"You aren't seriously going to sleep are you?"

"That's generally what one does at night." Was his reply. I crinkled my nose, making a face.

"But that's so boorrriiinng." I complained. He looked at me, his eyes seeming luminous in Kingdom Heart's glow. They made my breath catch in my throat, the way he was looking at me. He was breath-taking in the moonlight. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't.

"Would you like entertainment?" He asked, his voice implying something more than a mere innocent question. Before I could answer he had rolled me off of him and was leaning over me, looking at me with great intensity. I blushed, not entirely sure where this was headed. It would be just like him to toy with my emotions and then do nothing. He captured my mouth with his, leaving me senseless. He hadn't ever been like this before. Perhaps he was finally getting used to us as a couple. I was eager to find out.


	5. Only in your dreams

**The fifteenth member Part 5-**

_Light surrounded me, so bright that I couldn't see beyond my own arm span. I was walking through mist, shrouded in the light. I inched forward, my arms out in front of me._

"_Iris! How could you do this to me? After everything I did for you? You slept with one of them! How could you betray your own father like this?" A booming voice echoed around me. I didn't know where it had come from._

"_Dad? Daddy? Where are you?" I called out, running forward, trying to get clear of the mist. Suddenly it cleared on its own. I found myself in a prison of some sort. The walls glowed a luminous blue, cages lined the walls. There were no windows to speak of, just the cages. At the far end a shadowed figure sat on a raised platform._

"_Where's my father?" I demanded. The man beckoned me forward, a hand reaching out of the shadows._

"_Come to me, baby bat, and I shall show you the path you must follow." His voice seemed familiar. I edged closer, compelled by this mysterious figure in the shadows. Piercing green eyes gleamed at me, watching me with an intensity that made me feel uncomfortable. A thin, reedy man approached the dais, bowing low. He watched me hungrily. I shuddered. Who were these people? Why was I here? The questions echoed in my head. The man in the shadows beckoned to me, those eyes drawing me in._

"_Come here baby bat. Come to your future." I approached the dais, my heart beating in my chest. _

"_What do you want with me?" I asked. My voice sounded small in that large room. The figure placed a hand on my stomach, and I felt a shock run through my body, a spasm of pain. I cried out._

"_Stop it! What are you doing to her? Leave her alone!" Another voice I knew well echoed from one of the cells. I knew the owner of that voice but I couldn't conjure a face, it was just beyond the fringes of my memory._

"_Sirix! Get away from him!" The voice shouted at me. I turned away from those green eyes that had me captured in their gaze, searching for the one who had spoken. I scanned the cells frantically, finding the one who had spoken. He clung to the bars of his cell, trying to free himself. His violet hair hung over his right eye, lilac eyes pleading with me. I recognised him, but couldn't recall who he was. A hand touched my face, drawing my attention back to the man on the platform. He leaned out of the shadows, looking me in the eyes. His features were rough and masculine, a chiselled jaw line, crooked nose, thin lips smirking. Brown hair hung around his face in waves, going to his shoulders. A thin jagged, scarlet scar ran along his jaw line. He was fearsome, but there seemed to be a kindness in his eyes, or something else. The intensity scared me._

"_Pay no mind to him baby bat. He won't be any of your concern soon enough. You are the key to my plan. You will bare the ultimate weapon." He said in a slow, almost seductive voice. He beckoned to the thin man. "Hericles, perform the ritual." He ordered. The one named Hericles shuffled forward, a pot of golden liquid in his hand. It bubbled and hissed as he moved. I panicked and backed away, trying to escape. Out of nowhere two creatures appeared and held me still, pinning me to the floor. I struggled against their grip, screaming for them to let me go. Hericles dipped what looked to be a paintbrush into the pot and drew it out, the tip gleaming with the boiling liquid. He nodded to one of my captors and the creature lifted my shirt with a skeletal hand, surreptitiously trailing its fingers against my skin. The servant grinned and pressed the paintbrush to my skin, painting design on my flesh. It burnt my skin; it felt like it was eating away at my flesh. I screamed, thrashing against the restraints of the monsters._

"Sirix! Wake up!" Zexion's voice brought me out of my nightmare, concern in his voice and on his face. He ran a hand through my hair to calm me. "It's okay, it was just a dream." He comforted me. Tears filled my eyes and I buried my face against his skin. He cradled me against his chest, calming me much like one would calm a child. "It was just a nightmare, you'll be okay now." He murmured, pressing his lips to the top of my head. I eventually stopped crying, wiping my tears away with a shaking hand. He gently touched my face, brushing away the strands of hair that shielded my eyes from view.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking at me with concern. I nodded, biting my lip.

"Yeah, it was just a nightmare, I'm fine now. I'd say it's just the remnants of the healing process when I mended Larxene's soul threads." I said decisively. He looked like he didn't believe that entirely but accepted my reassurance.

"You should go eat something." He said. I nodded.

"You go ahead. I want to have a shower quickly. I'll be down soon." I said. He nodded reluctantly and left for the dining room. I watched him leave before walking into the bathroom, stripping off my clothes. It wasn't until after I got out of the shower that I noticed something wasn't quite right. I glanced at my stomach and saw something that made my heart skip a beat. There, glowing on my skin like a brand or like someone had painted in fire on my skin was the symbol that Hericles had painted on my skin. It was like a bird with its wings outstretched. Some kind of rune was scrawled in between the wings, a circle with an arrow. It looked familiar, but I couldn't figure out where I'd seen it before. My heart pounded in my chest as I hastily pulled clothes on, trying to cover the mark. Despite the mark being covered by my singlet and cloak I felt like it was glowing through the fabric. I remembered the burning agony from my dream and shuddered. How was it that my dream had become reality? It scared me to no end.

"Sirix, you should come down to the lab when you're done here. I'd like to run a few more tests." Vexen said as I was finishing my breakfast. His voice startled me out of my worried thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, okay." I said, distracted. I stabbed at my eggs half-heartedly. I was vaguely aware of Vexen leaving the room, along with a few of the other members. I hadn't seen Larxene since the day I healed her. Marluxia said she was still recovering from having her threads unravelled and then weaved again. I got the impression that she was avoiding me. Well I didn't mind not seeing her again. As I pondered multiple thoughts at once, Roxas placed a hand on my arm.

"Are you okay? You seem distracted, like there's something eating away at you." He seemed concerned. I looked at him, slightly out of it.

"Huh? I'm fine, just tired. I didn't sleep well." I said. Well I wasn't exactly lying. I was tired and I didn't sleep well, but I wasn't necessarily fine. But I wasn't going to tell the others about my screwed up dream. I pushed my plate away, knowing I wouldn't be able to finish it. I wasn't hungry. I stood up, walking out of the room and down to Vexen's lab. I figured I should get the tests over and done with so I could move on with my day.

"Why do you need to do so many tests?" I asked the scientist as he filed away another blood sample.

"You're different to us Sirix. We need to find out the extent of your abilities and anything else that could help us." He explained. I nodded slowly, thinking that I understood. His explanation seemed fairly straightforward. I had a heart; therefore I was a test subject, a rare specimen to be examined. He pulled out a square device of some sort with monitor pads attached to it.

"What's that?" I asked.

"A heart monitor. We don't usually have cause for such a device but Xemnas had me order one in months ago for rare cases. Lift up your shirt please." He ordered, removing the non-stick backs from the pads. I did as I was told, lifting my singlet so he could attach the monitor to my chest. I prayed that he didn't notice the brand on my skin, but it seemed to glow luminously. How could he not notice it? He paused in his actions to examine the skin.

"What happened here?" He asked. I shook my head.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He raised an eyebrow.

"You'd be surprised." I sighed and explained in detail about my dream and how the servant had painted the mark on my skin and how it appeared when I woke up. This seemed to interest Vexen greatly for he didn't move a muscle as I explained my dream. When I finished he was silent.

"Sirix, do you have any idea who the man could've been? It's vital that we gather all the information we can." I shook my head in answer to his question.

"He seemed slightly familiar but it could just have been me comparing him to someone from my past life. I have no idea who he is." I said, biting my lip. "What does it mean Vexen? What does this all mean?" I asked, gesturing to the mark on my abdomen. Vexen turned away to go through a drawer in his desk, apparently looking for something. He turned around with a camera in his hands.

"I'm taking a photo for research purposes. Please hold still." He snapped a photo, placing the camera on his desk. "You can put your shirt down now. That's all for today. I have things to do. I'm sure you have things Xemnas wants you to do." He dismissed me. I shrugged on my cloak and left. I could find something to do while no one wanted me around. As I was walking down one of the many winding corridors Demyx approached me.

"Hey Sirix! Guess what! You get to go to Wonderland! It's totally awesome! You'll love it!" His enthusiasm made me smile, momentarily forgetting my concerns.

"I suppose I had better get ready to leave." I said. He grinned at me, not seeing past the mask I had hidden behind.

"Yup. Trust me Rix, you'll love it there! It's awesome!" He said, bidding me farewell.

_After Sirix had gone Vexen started to run the samples through various machines. He looked through the databases for any sign of the man Sirix had mentioned, but could find no indicator of the golden liquid or the place she had mentioned. As he was about to give up on his search one of the machines signalled and he spun around on the lab chair, looking at the results of the test. His jaw dropped in surprise, an uncommon experience for the scientist. Pulling out a communicator he ran the test again, thinking it might be a mistake._

"_Superior, you should come down to the lab immediately. There's something you need to see." He said, signing off before the man could reply. He printed out the results and scanned through them, running probability checks hastily. When Xemnas walked in the scientist was raking his hands through his hair, confused by the results he had received._

"_What is it Four? What has you calling upon me without explanation?" The Superior of the In-Between questioned him. Vexen passed the papers to him._

"_This. I didn't know if it was possible. Sirix never mentioned her family to us so I wasn't entirely sure if she was merely an anomaly or the offspring of two Nobodies. This proves that my previous theories are correct." The amber-eyed man examined the reports carefully, finding it hard to take in the results._

"_What does this mean Even?" Vexen crossed his arms across his chest._

"_It means that Sirix is with child Superior. Also, she reported having a terrible nightmare and woke up with this marking on her abdomen." He showed Xemnas the photo of the rune on Sirix's stomach, watching the man's reaction on his face. He grew stern, staring at the photo, eyes fixated on the marking._

"_Superior, does this mean anything to you?" Vexen asked. Xemnas handed back the photo, shaking his head._

"_No. Think nothing of it Four. I'm sure it is nothing." He said, but Vexen wasn't convinced."Update me with any findings you may have." The silver haired man ordered, walking out. Vexen watched him leave. The man was hiding something. He knew something about the marking on Sirix's skin, he was certain of it. It was time to do some research. _

_Saix knocked on Xemnas' door lightly, opening it without waiting for an answer. Xemnas sat behind his desk, reading through an old file. Saix raised an eyebrow at his superior._

"_Xemnas, you seem aggravated. What is the matter?" He asked, approaching the desk and leaning against the wall. Xemnas threw the file towards his second in charge. The blue haired man picked it up with a querying expression on his face. He opened it, scanning the contents of the file surreptitiously. _

"_This is...?" He asked. Xemnas stood and walked over to the window._

"_Quite a few years ago I encountered a man who was only half of what he should have been. No one knew quite what he was. He claimed to be a Nobody. But he wasn't. He was a demon of sorts. He begged me to save him from his torment, but I didn't. Instead I left him to die. He vowed to get revenge on me and my people. I didn't believe he would. He was as good as dead. The heartless consumed him. I watched them do it. He had a mark that all his followers bore. I searched his ranks, destroying ever last one of them. They threatened to expose us you see."_

"_There was one couple though, that I spared. They were Nobodies. I couldn't destroy my own kind. So I let them go. I told them to never return, to forget their master and live a normal life. They had a child; at that time I didn't know it was theirs. I thought she was an orphan from one of their raids. She couldn't have been more than one year old. She was different. She didn't seem to take notice of the war that waged around her. The young couple took my advice and fled, with their child. That mark was on all of the demon's people. They called him Koan. The girl bore no mark." Saix raised an eyebrow at his superior._

"_And you're telling me this why?" Xemnas sighed, turning to face the Blunette. _

"_Because number XV told Four about a nightmare she had, in which a man matching Koan's description captured her and had a rune painted on her flesh. He told her that she would bare the ultimate weapon. And now Vexen has uncovered evidence that her dream is becoming reality. I fear we may soon be under attack."_

"_You think Sirix is the offspring of the couple you let live?" Saix clarified. Xemnas nodded._

"_I do. And I think Koan is back to claim her." _

When I stepped out of the portal my eyes widened with amazement. Everything was so odd. I realised I would never get used to travelling to different worlds. This world seemed to contain nearly everything impossible thing there was to imagine. I heard whispering voices and looked around but I could see nothing but flowers. Wide patches of Daisies, Daffodils, Roses and Sunflowers lined a grassy checkerboard path.

"Is she the one they've all been talking about? The one named Alice?"  
>"She couldn't be. Look at those clothes. Alice isn't that odd looking."<br>"She might be. She looks like she might be Alice." The disembodied voices floated around me eerily. I summoned my weapons simultaneously.

"Who's there?" I demanded, twirling around at the chatter of voices behind me. There was nothing but flowers. "Show yourself!" I shouted. The voices laughed.

"She couldn't be Alice. Alice is smarter than this one." I spun around again. Who was speaking? Why wouldn't they show themselves?

"Oi, watch where you're going, you great lump. You almost broke my stem!" I looked down at my feet and to my surprise saw a daisy glowering at me.

"Did you just speak to me?" I asked, shocked. The daisy rolled its eyes at me.

"Yes I did. You should watch where you are going. You could cause someone a lot of harm galumphing about like a Bandersnatch." She said crossly. It was most definitely a feminine voice. I felt ashamed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see you. You are growing in the middle of the path you know. Wouldn't it make more sense to grow on the side?"

"It's no point trying to talk sense into the flowers newcomer. They won't change their ways for anything." A new voice, a slow voice like a cat's purr. I turned to see a cat, grinning. I approached it cautiously.

"What are you?" I asked, amazed. He studied a blue paw.

"I'm the Cheshire Cat, but you can call me Chesh. Everyone else does. Shall I take you to see the Hatter? Everyone else who comes here visits him." He offered with a slow grin, vanishing before my eyes. The grin was the last to disappear. I turned around in circles, looking for him. He appeared further up the path.

"He's this way. Just follow the path." I took his advice, following the grass checkerboard, keeping an eye out for anything dangerous. A house came into view but it was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. The house resembled a windmill, a lopsided, topsy-turvy windmill. In the front yard a long dining table was set for tea. A Dormouse, a Hare and a man were seated at it, laughing like lunatics. They stopped when they saw me.

"Could it be? Is it really? Alice?" The dormouse asked. The man stood and walked over the table to approach me.

"It is. It must be." The Hare said. I stared in wonder.

"I'm not Alice." I said, a little startled. The man grinned.

"Of course you're Alice. You're absolutely Alice. I'd know you anywhere." He turned around to the other two in the trio. "I'd know him anywhere." He said to them, causing them to burst into fits of insane laughter. I assumed the man was the Hatter. He wore a top hat and was dressed in a scarlet waistcoat and yellow vest. His hat seemed ragged, as if it had been burnt and repaired. His green eyes were luminous, his red hair like live flames.

"I'm not Alice. I'm Sirix, you're mistaken incredibly." I argued. The Hatter laughed.

"Do stay for tea, won't you?" The Hatter asked. I shook my head. I had a mission. I had to locate a heartless and destroy it.

"I'd like to, but I'll have to decline. I have somewhere to be." I said. The Dormouse started to say something but fell asleep mid sentence. The Hare then proceeded to shove the mouse into a teapot.

"Should he be doing that?" I asked. The Hatter shrugged.

"How would I know? I'm mad." To confirm this fact he laughed hysterically, throwing a teacup at the Hare. The Hare laughed loudly, despite the fact that the cup had smashed on his head. I rolled my eyes. Of course I would get sent to a place that was home to a group of people that belonged in an asylum. _I bet this is Saix's idea of a joke._ I thought bitterly. Well I didn't find it funny. I shook my head in wonder.

"You're all nuts." I said.

"Bolts actually." The dormouse said, appearing from inside the teapot momentarily. He fell back to sleep almost immediately.

"Get back in your pot." The Hare said, shoving him in. I cracked a smile, hiding it behind my hand. I'd had enough of these three.

"Well I bid you good day." I said with a polite nod to all of them, even the dormouse inside the teapot. The Hatter doffed his hat politely, the Hare laughed and from inside the teapot come a muffled "Treacle..." I shook my head in disbelief. They were definitely mad. I left them to their tea.

"If I were a heartless where would I hide?" I asked myself, walking along the tree shaded path.

"Not here." Came a disembodied voice. I recognised it as the Cheshire Cat.

"Oh, it's you Chesh. You startled me." I said, holding a hand to my heart. The cat grinned.

"Terribly sorry about that. You say you're looking for heartless? Well you'll find them at the Red Queen's palace. It's full of dark creatures and such. It's down that way." He vanished as he spoke, leaving only a paw pointing to the east.

"I wish he'd stop doing that." I muttered to myself, following the path once again. I hadn't gone far when I found myself in another clearing. This time, instead of a tea party, I found two portly men fighting over a rattle.

"Leave off! It's mine!" Said the one with Dum embroidered on his collar, shoving the other man abruptly. The other had Dee on his collar. He shoved Dum back.

"I found it first Tweedle Dum. You're the one who needs to leave off!" He argued. I decided that they were just as mad as the hatter and it was probably best to sneak by. I started to edge my way around them when the pollen in the air began to tickle my nose. _Oh no, not now_. I sneezed loudly and they stopped their bickering.

"Is that being...?"  
>"No it's not being. It couldn't be." I ground my teeth frustrated. Why didn't anyone in this world speak proper English? It was enough to drive someone mad. Perhaps that was the goal of this world. If you went mad, you couldn't leave. That was usually the rule of places like this one.<p>

"If it's not being Alice, than who is it being?" Tweedle Dum asked. The other shrugged.  
>"I don't know Tweedle Dum, who could it be being?"<br>"Perhaps we should ask her Tweedle Dee?" Tweedle Dee nodded.

"Who might you be being?" He asked me. I blushed slightly, wishing I could just get out of there.

"My name is Sirix." I said. They looked at each other. "Who are you?" I asked in return.

"I'm Tweedle Dum, He's Tweedle Dee." Tweedle Dum said, pointing to Tweedle Dee.  
>"Being the other way round I'm Tweedle Dee, he's Tweedle Dum." Tweedle Dee said. I raised an eyebrow.<p>

"Right. Well it was a pleasure meeting you Tweedle's but I have somewhere to be, so you'll have to excuse me." I said, running off before they could say another word. I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. I ran along the path, not stopping until I came to the end of the grass. It branched off into cobblestone to make the road to the Red Castle. I slowed down, summoning my weapons. There were no guards anywhere to be seen. In fact, there was no one to be seen. Where were they all? I crept into the courtyard, not sure where the occupants of the castle might be lurking. Suddenly I found myself in the gardens. I could hear voices in the distance, chatting loudly, calling out odd things. A shrill voice sounded in the distance.

"OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" I frowned. Who was cutting who's head off now? I decided to check it out. I crept around the bushes and fell upon the strangest scene. A group of courtiers, people shaped like playing cards and a woman with the biggest head I'd ever seen were all hanging around a croquet field. They appeared to be playing, but they had Flamingos as mallets and hedgehogs as balls.

"Pass me another flamingo would you please?" A soft voice asked. I turned to the source. It appeared to be a young girl with wavy golden locks dressed in blue. I stared at this oddly normal girl, who stood out from the rest of the bizarre group. A rabbit in a page's uniform rushed forward, bowing low to the red queen.

"Your majesty, the Knave has discovered a heartless and would like to know what to do with it." He reported in a small voice.

"OFF WITH ITS HEAD!" Was the woman's shrill reply. I covered my ears in reaction to her voice. The ground started to tremble and everyone began to murmur, wondering what it was. I frowned. That couldn't be the reaction from her cry. As I pondered the thought a giant heartless thundered into the croquet field. The courtiers screamed in terror and scattered. The rabbit fainted. The blond girl and Red queen remained. I gripped my weapons tightly. This was my target. I leapt into the field, landing with ease in front of the two women. A man, the knave I assumed, pursued the heartless, waving his sword about. The beast ignored his blows easily.

"OFF WITH ITS HEAD! TAKE IT OFF!" The queen yelled. I turned around to look at her.

"Would you just shut up?" I asked. The woman looked taken aback and went silent. I smiled.

"Thanks." I said sarcastically before returning my attention to the beast before me. It resembled a dragon in body, lean and scaly. It bore the Heartless symbol on its plated chest. Thick pointed tusks protruded from its mouth, a grotesque sneer on its face. Large ragged wings adorned its grey back. I took in the sharp claws and teeth and smirked. This was going to be fun. I ran towards it, jumping on top of it, using its elongated snout as a foothold. It roared angrily, clutching its nose with clawed hands. I sat astride the Heartless, looking down at everyone, while the heartless tried to rid itself of me.

"Time to die." I said, slicing into the plated neck with my blades. It roared in agony and then stopped, collapsing on the ground. I jumped down cleaning my blades on the grass. I heard an explosion and when I looked back the heartless was gone. The queen stared at me, mouth open.

"Who are you, bold hero?" She asked me. I bit my lip, before deciding it was okay to give her my old name.

"Iris, your majesty." I said, bowing. I figured it was better safe than sorry. "I came to dispose of that beast, and now that my task is complete I'm afraid I must leave." I said hastily, running through the garden, while the courtiers cried out after me. The last thing I needed was to get caught up in the affairs of an insane kingdom.

After many long moments of running I realised I must've taken a wrong turn somewhere. Oddly enough, there hadn't been any turns on the way to the castle, yet the path seemed to wind and twist on the return trip. I found myself walking through an eerie forest. Mist hung low, making me shiver. I tightened my cloak around my body and gripped my weapons tightly. There was no way I was getting locked in this mad world. I heard a wolf howl in the distance and shivered. I glanced around and saw a door in the trunk of a tree. I frowned, cautiously opening it. I tumbled through, tripping on a tree root and found myself back in the area with the Daisies.

"Oh back so soon? Did you find it pleasant?" They chided. I frowned, gritting my teeth. They were getting on my nerves.

"Did you see that Hatter? He is as mad as they come you know." I crouched on the ground beside the flower that had spoken.

"Listen to me carefully, and listen well. I'll tell you this once. I will not tolerate any shit from a bunch of pathetic pansies. Go irritate someone else. You're mad."

"We're all mad here Alice." Chesh said from behind me. I spun around, holding him at sword-point.

"You be quiet too cat. Where I come from cats don't talk or grin, flowers don't insult and hare's don't drink tea. I'm going back there and I never want to see any of your faces again." I snapped. The cat yawned widely, grinning at me.

"Whatever you wish baby bat. Oh Koan sends his regards to Xemnas. He said to give you this." He tossed a parcel to me and I caught it, glowering at the cat. How could he possibly know that name? It was just a coincidence surely. I shivered and turned away, walking through the portal.

"_Should we really be letting her leave master?" Hericles asked his master. Koan smiled, petting the Cheshire cat with a gentle hand._

"_Naturally. She has to deliver the message to Xemnas. She has no idea of her future. She will be seeing more of us. Besides. Now we can find her easily. She does bare my mark now." He assured his servant, who grinned evilly. The cat purred. He cared not for the trifles of the men, he just wanted to live peacefully._

I stumbled through the portal, doubling over as a spasm of pain racked my body. I bit back a cry as the portal closed behind me. Tears filled my eyes in shock, blurring my vision. I wiped them away, breathing deeply. What was wrong with me? Why was I feeling like this? I stood up, fighting back the last of the pain, pulling myself together. It was just a rebound from the fighting of the heartless. I needed to go see Vexen about this Koan character. I staggered through the castle, feeling like my energy had been drained. I stumbled against a chair, and felt the rough edge graze my skin. I cringed, a hiss of breath escaping my lips. I clutched at thin air, my hands, to my surprise, closing around the material of someone's cloak. Hands grabbed my arms and I looked up to see Xigbar.

"Whoa, dudette, you okay?" He asked, helping me to my feet. I nodded and let go of his cloak.

"Yeah, just a little worn out. I just came back from a mission in Wonderland. I guess going to work straight after a test is not the best idea in the world. Talk about energy drain." I said, hoping to wipe the look of concern away from his face. He seemed really worried about something.

"Hey, is everything alright?" I asked, frowning. He shrugged, trying to disguise the look of concern with one of nonchalance.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Just, don't wear yourself out too much Sirix. It isn't good for a Nobody to do too much. You could end up burning out." He sounded genuinely concerned, and incredibly serious, which was very much unlike Xigbar. "You should rest." He said, forming a portal that I guessed was to my room.

"But I have to report to Xemnas." I protested.

"He'll understand. The Superior is more understanding than most realise." He said pushing me through the portal. I stumbled through it, as clumsy as ever. Xigbar was acting stranger than usual. Thoughts of why plagued my mind. What could have him so shaken up? I looked around the room briefly, noting that Zexion once again wasn't there. I sighed to myself. He'd been disappearing a lot lately. I guessed it was a guy thing. My ex had done a similar thing once... but then again it had turned out he was cheating on me. Still, I didn't think Zexion would be the kind of guy to do that. I settled myself on the bed, a sudden wave of fatigue washing over me. _I must've had a lot of blood taken in that test._ I thought to myself, drifting off to sleep.

"_Welcome back baby bat." I shivered at the sound of his voice. It was as slow and seductive as ever, reminding me of the way Marluxia spoke. I slowly turned around, finding myself face to face with the man from my previous dream._

"_Who are you?" I demanded, clenching my fists. "What do you want with me?" He chuckled darkly._

"_Do you really not know? Didn't your father ever tell you about me? No I suppose he didn't. I am Koan, baby bat. And you are mine." He spoke with the utmost confidence, like he couldn't possibly be wrong. _

"_I'm not owned by anyone!" I snapped, folding my arms across my chest. "Least of all you." He grinned wickedly, the gleam in his eyes unsettling me._

"_On the contrary baby bat. You bare my mark. That mark symbolises ownership. You were meant to be marked much earlier than this but your parents ran away." He said, a look of distaste crossing his features. "It's all because of that hateful Xemnas. But no matter. Now I've found you, and everything is as it should be. There were a few bumps in the road but now we'll be able to commence. It could take a little longer than originally planned but I've waited seventeen years, what's another few for a man like me?" He laughed darkly again, a look of glee on his face. I looked around the glowing prison._

"_I don't see your henchman anywhere. What happened? Did you grow tired of him and kill him?" I asked snarkily. The man smiled._

"_Oh on the contrary child. I've had him doing some research for me. You really are truly beautiful in your sleep." He said, turning to a mirror in the wall where an image appeared. I stared in fixated horror as it became more focused and defined. I was staring at myself, asleep in The Castle that Never Was. Zexion sat beside me, reading a book, as he often did. I tore my gaze away from the image to glare at Koan._

"_You're a sick pervert. Watching me as I sleep, it's disgusting!" I exclaimed. He smiled._

"_Everything you do, I witness. Hence why I have placed the mark on you, so I can watch you even more carefully, without having to hunt you down. It's my calling card, if you will." He said. I stared in horror, realising the extent of things he would have seen. I felt my patience and tolerance snap. I ran forward, attacking him with nails and fists._

"_Sick bastard!" I yelled. I felt cold hands close around my arms and I was dragged backwards. Koan smiled at me._

"_You have no power here baby bat. You'll learn. I think it's time you woke up." He said, pressing a hand on the mark on my abdomen._

I woke up to the burning sensation on my skin. Zexion looked at mewith slight concern.

"Is everything okay?" He asked me. I looked startled for a moment, before composing myself.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I just have to speak to Vexen about something." I said, standing up and walking out of the room before he could ask why. I found Vexen's room easily, knocking on the door lightly but urgently. I heard noises from inside, slight shuffling, the sound of footsteps. Vexen opened the door bleary eyed and dazed. When he saw the look of concern on my face he was awake immediately.

"Sirix. Is something wrong?" He asked. I bit my lip.

"Can we talk?" I asked. He nodded, stepping aside so I could enter. His room was fairly straight forward, consisting of a dresser, a single bookshelf, a desk, his bed and some chairs. It was fairly obvious that he was hardly ever in there. He gestured for me to sit, sitting on his desk chair.

"What's the problem?" He asked. He looked at me with concern, and interest. I took a deep breath, fidgeting with my hands in my lap.

"It's that dream. I had another one. I don't think it's just my imagination Vexen. The guy from it, he keeps talking about my future and how I'm his. He said the mark is what ties me to him. I'm scared. He said he can find me anywhere." I explained, fear causing my grip to tighten on the fabric of my shirt, my eyes wide. Vexen did something incredibly odd for him, placing his hands on my own.

"Sirix, you need to listen to me. He is just a figment of your imagination. He can't hurt you." He reassured me. I shook my head.

"If he's not real then how did the Cheshire cat know what he called me, and know his name. How was he able to tell me to say hello to Xemnas for him? I'm telling you, this isn't just a dream. The man is a stalker. He watches me while I sleep for crying out loud! You need to help me." I pleaded, starting to cry. He looked flustered, and a little scared, like he was out of his league in that situation.

"I'll try to help you as much as possible but you need to stop stressing. It's bad for the-" he seemed to cut himself off at the last moment. I glanced at him suspiciously.

"It's bad for the what?" I prompted him. He panicked slightly, glancing around the room to avoid my gaze. I made him look at me. "Bad for what Vexen?" I repeated.

"Bad for your mental and emotional state. You have been high strung since the fight with Larxene. Stressing will cause you extreme trauma that could affect you and those involved." He covered his tracks smoothly, but I knew he wasn't telling me something. "I suggest you go and rest again. I've got to report to Xemnas." He pushed me out of the room gently, but with enough force that I couldn't fight back. As it was I was too tired to put up much of a fight anyway. I made my way back to the room I shared with Zexion, confused thoughts turning around in my head. What wasn't Vexen telling me? I couldn't help but think that he was hiding something incredibly important.

**Two weeks later...**

"I'll kill you Axel!" Larxene screamed from in her room. I looked up briefly from the picture I was drawing, looking around at everyone. Demyx and Luxord were seated at a coffee table playing poker. They had offered me a game but I had declined, saying that while I had hold of my dignity, I intended to keep it. Luxord had shrugged and started to deal the cards again. Zexion was sitting next to me, reading a book on the topic of... well I wasn't really sure what it was about. He was often reading a lot of things. Xaldin was attempting to salvage an utterly destroyed imitation sword he had found in Twilight town. He had recently gotten interested in repairing old items. No one was paying attention to Larxene's death threats. They were something of a tradition on a Saturday morning. Xemnas walked into the room, looking deep in thought.

"Hey Xemnas, sup?" I asked. He looked at me blankly before seeming to notice I had spoken.

"Oh, nothing really XV , just thinking over reports and such." He said. I accepted his answer simply because I couldn't be bothered not to.

"Do you have any missions for me?" I asked. I was getting restless around the castle. Since the wonderland mission I'd only had one other mission and that was to Bambi's forest to do a routine check. I had the feeling that everyone else knew something I didn't. No one would let me do anything strenuous. Just the other day Xigbar, Lexaeus, Xaldin and Axel had been having a contest to see who was stronger. Lexaeus had conjured up a slab of stone but wasn't allowed to tamper with it. It was a contest to see who could lift the slab the highest. I thought it looked fun and wanted to give it a try but Xaldin had stopped me, saying I shouldn't wear myself out. I didn't get it. Normally Xaldin was so easy going towards me. But the look in his eyes was one that concerned me. Something had changed in everyone. I felt like they knew something I didn't, and I didn't like it. Zexion was one of the few that weren't acting any different. Even Axel had mellowed in his pranks and become serious when it came to me.

"No, not today Sirix, perhaps another time." He said offhandedly. I shrugged. It wasn't like I minded sitting around the castle without having to worry, but at the same time, it was getting boring. I looked back down at my sketchpad, almost having a heart attack when I saw the image that was etched there. It was Koan. I stared at it, picking it up with shaking hands. Zexion noticed my movements, despite being deep in the book he was reading. He looked at me, placing a hand on my arm.

"Sirix is everything ok?" He asked. I couldn't say a word, just kept staring at the picture. I had drawn Koan without even meaning to. Zexion touched my face, making me look at him. "Sirix, it's okay. He's not real, it's just a drawing." His calm reassurances helped me to control myself, calming me down. He kissed me gently on the cheek, squeezing my hand reassuringly. I smiled gratefully at him, blushing slightly and standing up.

"Where are you going?" Xemnas asked me. I turned back, staring at him.

"I thought I might go train for a little bit, so that my skills won't be rusty when you have a mission for me." I explained. I saw Xaldin exchange a look with Xemnas. He stood up, walking over to me and putting an arm around my shoulders.

"Uh, Rix, do you really think that's the best idea? I mean, seriously, it's a relaxation day, you should just chill for a bit." He said, attempting to steer me back to the lounge where Zexion sat, reading his book again.

"I've done nothing but relax the last two weeks. There's something going on and no one will tell me what it is." I said, pulling away, my temper brewing dangerously close to boiling point. I pulled his arm off of me and stormed out. I was going to find out what was going on.

"Vexen! I want to know the truth. There's something that you're not telling me and I want answers." I said, pushing open the door and storming in, slamming my hands down on his lab table. He looked slightly startled, panicked even. He turned to look at me, sweeping aside a file gently.

"Sirix, if this is about your dream, I have no answers yet. I'm still looking into this Koan character." He said, calmer now. I ran a hand through my hair. This isn't about my dream. Everyone is wound up about something. They don't joke around as much; they're always looking at me as if they fear I might break. What is wrong with me Vexen?" I asked, fear creeping into my voice. I just wanted answers. Was that really so hard? Vexen stood up to tower above me.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You're healthy and strong. You've nothing to worry about." He assured me. I nodded and started to turn away when my name on a sheet of paper caught my eye. I pulled it free of the folder.

"Sirix, please put that down, you don't really want to read that." Vexen warned. But it was too late. I'd seen the results of the blood test he took two weeks ago. I dropped the sheet and sank to my knees on the floor, shock making me go silent. I heard footsteps and the sound of the door opening.

"What happened?' Zexion demanded, rushing over to my side, trying to see if I was okay.

"She's fine, just in shock." Vexen said, sitting down on his chair again.

"In shock from what?" Zexion demanded. I pointed to the sheet of paper, my hand shaking. He looked where I pointed and picked the sheet up, reading the information over. He paled considerably, staring at the sheet in horror. He looked at Vexen pleadingly.

"Are you sure? I mean it could just be a glitch in the program." He was grasping at straws and we knew it. Vexen shook his head.

"There's no glitch. I've run the test multiple times, with multiple samples. There is no mistake. Sirix is pregnant. And with your child Zexion." He said solemnly. I was recovering quickly from the initial shock, a hand pressed to my stomach.

"Is that why everyone has been treating me differently?" I asked slowly. Zexion helped me to my feet, slowly coming to terms with what we'd just found out. Vexen nodded.

"Wait, just how many people know, Vexen?" Zexion demanded. Vexen looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Only myself, Xemnas and members II, III, V, and somehow VIII found out." He said, rattling off a list of members. I frowned.

"Wait a sec, so you have known this for two weeks and you didn't think to tell me? Thanks a lot." I said sarcastically.

"You need to understand, we had no idea how you would react. We didn't think it wise to tell you that you are with child while you were worried about your dreams." He explained. I breathed shallowly, anger seething again.

"A little tip for next time, Vexen. My nightmares will never stop. So don't try to protect me from something that I need to know. Oh and don't ever lie to me again." I said, walking out and slamming the door closed.

_Vexen stared coolly after her, feeling incredible stupid. He knew he shouldn't have lied but it was what was necessary. He noticed Zexion was still there._

"_Ienzo, are you alright?" He asked him. The slate haired man shook his head slowly._

"_I don't know how to be a father, Vexen. What if something happens and I'm not able to prevent it? You know how past experiments have ended. We couldn't save the mother after the child was born. And in many cases the child was stillborn. What if that happens to Sirix? She'd break down. She wouldn't survive a heart break like that." He said, clenching his fists. "I can't lose her Vexen. She's the only thing I care about in this world. If I lose her I have nothing. We may work towards gaining hearts but without someone have emotions for, what is the point?" his words struck Vexen as rather intriguing. It was something to ponder._

"_I will do everything within my power to make sure that doesn't happen." He promised the other member._


	6. Not on your life

Alicia Styles Chapter Six The Fifteenth Member

I didn't want to see anyone. Everyone knew that I was pregnant and no one thought to let me know. Anger seethed through my veins. I hissed angrily, needing to let out my frustration somehow. Opening a portal, I pulled on a cloak and stepped through, intending to go to the training area. Instead I found myself in a dark passageway. Cobwebs hung like pale lace along lamp fixtures, glistening in the tiny pinpricks of light that filtered through the cracks in the walls. I shivered in the darkness. It was eerie, and a cold draft whistled through the passage like a ghost. I pulled my cloak tighter around me, feeling paranoid. I heard noises and ducked as black shapes flew over my head, squeaking in a high-pitched tone. I ducked, avoiding the leathery winged bats. I could hear music of some kind in the distance so I headed in that direction, summoning my weapons just in case. I crept along the stone walkway, feeling the tendrils of darkness reach out to me, like cold fingers stroking my skin. I walked into a spider web and leapt back, stifling a scream. I calmed myself and forced myself to keep moving, the music growing louder as I moved. I saw a pinprick of light in the distance and hastened towards it, wanting to get out of the dark as soon as possible. The light grew larger until the tunnel opened out to become a lit cavern. The walls glistened damply, and I could see no one there. I saw a door at the end of the cave and moved close to it. The music was coming from beyond the door, a strange, haunting melody that seemed to captivate my mind. I opened the door slowly, slipping through the gap and keeping alert. The music lured me further along a lighter passage, warmth filling my bones. Suddenly the passage ended in a large wooden door. I heard muffled voices beyond the thick wood. Carefully I inched the door open, my weapons at the ready. The sight before me made me stop and want to run away. It was the white prison. There sat Koan, his wicked green eyes twinkling. Hericles stood beside him, grinning snidely.

"Ah you've arrived Baby Bat. Excellent." He said; a gleeful smile on his features. I shuddered, panicking. I tried to open the door but the handle wouldn't budge.

"I'm sorry baby bat, but you won't be getting out that way. You're our guest." He said, smiling sickeningly. I shuddered, still trying to pull on the door. Suddenly I felt cold hands grip my arms and Koan's henchmen dragged me towards his dais. I kicked and struggled, trying to escape but I couldn't.

"What do you want with me, Koan?" I demanded as I was forced on my knees by the skeletal creatures. He grinned at me, leaning forward.

"Haven't you figured it out yet Baby Bat? You belong to me now, as you were meant to. And when you have that child you're carrying, it will belong to me too." He explained with a triumphant smirk. I glared at him.

"What makes you think that? DO you honestly think I'll let you take my baby away from me? I'll just hide it. You can't get it with the organization protecting me." I was grasping at straws and he knew it.

"I managed to get you didn't I? And you can't hide if I don't let you leave." He pointed out. I frowned.

"They'll notice I'm gone." I said defiantly. He smirked.

"No they won't. See Alleya here will be taking your place among the organization. You see I couldn't just let you leave knowing you bare the child that could bring about the downfall of Xemnas. It's highly impossible I'm afraid." As he spoke my jaw dropped. Out of the shadows stepped a girl that looked exactly like me, a mirror image of myself. She was a seemingly perfect copy of me. She smiled and it sent a chill down my spine. She approached me and pulled off my cloak.

"I'll need this. I hope you don't mind, sister." She said, pulling on the cloak and smirking coldly. "Don't worry about Zexion. I'll make sure he's too preoccupied to look for you." She said. If she was trying to be funny it was lost on me. I was seething. I launched myself at the clone, tackling her onto the ground.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE DAMNIT! LEAVE ME ALONE!" I screamed, trying to kill the girl. I summoned my weapons but before I could kill her Koan had pulled me back, keeping a firm grip on me.

"Baby Bat, can't you see that this is all for the best? Those men, no, those creatures are not human. They don't care about you. They're incapable of it. They are using you, first for your abilities and now for your child. You mean nothing more to them than an experiment. The vessel for the greatest experiment of all time, the production of a Nobody child." He said, sounding so cold. I stared at him.

"You're wrong! All of you! They will know that I'm missing! You can't fool them!" I cried, even as Koan had his henchmen drag me to one of the cells, throwing me in and locking the barred door.

"Time for you to make your departure Alleya. Keep us informed of your mission." He instructed the clone. The girl nodded, shooting a cold smirk at me in my caged position and suddenly a portal opened and engulfed her. She was gone. I yelled out for her to come back, but no one paid my words any heed. Koan turned to look at me and he moved towards the locked door.

"Now Baby Bat, I suggest you get comfortable. You could be here for a while." He said with a sadistic smile. I spat on him in defiance and he wiped his face with the sleeve of his coat in disdain. "How disappointing. I'll be back later." He informed me and then walked off, leaving two of his grotesque skeleton creatures to guard me.

_Alleya arrived at The Castle That Never Was to find herself bombarded by a squealing moogle, followed by another, and another. She turned to the direction they were coming from and found herself face to face with Demyx. The younger member's face fell slightly as he realised he'd hit her, but he was still grinning like a lunatic._

"_Oops sorry Sirix! You shouldn't just appear like that!" He apologised, ducking just as another moogle flew past his head. "YOU MISSED AXEL!" He shouted in glee. Alleya frowned and turned to see Axel in the process of throwing another moogle at Demyx. His aim was off and it hit her in the face. Rage seethed through her body, coursing through her veins. She started towards the hapless Nobody with intent to kill when Xaldin appeared at the doorway, taking in the scene and moving hastily to intervene. _

"_Sirix, there you are. Zexion is looking for you. He asked me to tell you he wants to see you if I saw you. You'd better go quickly before he gets really pissed." Xaldin warned. It took her a moment to realise he was talking to her. _Right, I'm Sirix now. I have to get my act together or they'll never buy it._ She reminded herself, forcing a concerned look on her face and turning to Xaldin._

"_Yeah, sorry I went for a walk. Where is he?" She asked, smiling apologetically. Xaldin grinned._

"_Where do you think Rixy? In his usual hideout of course." He laughed at his own lame joke and Alleya wanted to groan. But instead she smiled politely and walked away, out into the corridor where she could hear the moogle fight continuing. It wasn't until she had wandered along three different hallways that she realised she didn't know where Zexion's 'usual hideout' was. Koan hadn't exactly been big on the details of Sirix and Zexion's daily lives. She stopped walking and looked around her. She was in an empty hallway, no doors, no windows, just barren white walls on either side of her. She sighed, not knowing where to go. Just as she was about to give up and find someone to give her directions or something she heard Zexion's voice behind her._

"_Sirix, there you are. I've been looking everywhere for you. Where have you been for the last hour?" He asked, drawing near to her. Alleya flinched when he touched her arm, pulling away before stopping to think. He frowned._

"_Sirix, what's wrong?" He asked, concerned. She realised her mistake and tried to smile reassuringly but suspicion and concern clouded Zexion's eyes. _

"_Nothing. I'm fine. Just a little jumpy." She said hastily, trying to make amends for her actions. He raised an eyebrow but didn't ask any more questions. _

"_I just wanted to make sure you were okay. The way you stormed off like that, I was concerned. And then no one could find you, not even Xemnas." He explained. She cursed Koan for sending her into this situation highly unprepared._

"_I went for a walk to clear my head. I'm sorry I didn't mean to worry you." She apologised, twisting the cuffs of her sleeves in her ungloved hands. The motion captured Zexion's attention and he took hold of her hand in a quick, fluid motion. _

"_What happened to your gloves?" He asked, examining her hands quickly, scrutinizing them in a quick fashion. He noted the lack of callouses on her hands but didn't say anything. Something wasn't right, but perhaps he was just noticing things more today. She pulled her hands out of his grip._

"_I-uh- took them off on my walk. They must've fallen out of my pocket somewhere." She lied. He frowned but nodded, noting how distant she seemed. She noticed how deep in thought he seemed and realised that if she didn't do something to distract him then her ploy might just be unravelled. She bit her lip and forced a smile on her face. "You worry too much Zexion. You need to unwind. The others are having a moogle fight, want to join in?" She asked, taking him by the hand and leading him down the hall. He protested, pulling away from her._

"_I'm fine. I was going to go and see the superior actually. But you go, I'll see you later." He explained and walked off in the direction of Xemnas' study, leaving Alleya standing there, feeling confused and rather annoyed. This was harder than she thought. One thought plagued her mind. What if Sirix had been right and they were too smart to be fooled?_

**Two weeks later…**

I etched another tally mark on my leg, gritting my teeth to withstand the pain. It was the only thing that kept me sane in this prison. I looked up at the corner of the ceiling, glaring at the camera. I knew Koan was watching me right now, monitoring my progress. It had been two weeks since Koan had kidnapped me and my baby, and Alleya had taken my place. I waited every day for Zexion to figure it out but so far nothing had happened. From my cell I could easily see the mirror which showed everything that happened in the Organization, the pathways of which Koan had kept open to gloat over. I watched as Zexion and the others bought into the lies and I hated Koan and Alleya more every minute. I felt the child move inside me and placed a hand on my swollen stomach. Though it had only been a few weeks, I looked like I was three months pregnant. Koan had somehow sped up the process and at this rate within the next month or so I would be at full term. If the others didn't figure it out soon and get me it would be likely that I'd be giving birth to my kid in this prison. I picked up the piece of bone I'd sharpened and used to mark my skin with and tucked it into my boots. I had obtained the bone a week before, when Koan had decided it was time for my first examination. I'd broken the hand of one of his skeleton guards when they had tried to force me onto an examination table. Now it was my key to sanity. I glowered at the camera a few moments more and then took up my routine session of watching forlornly as the mirror relayed the activities of the organization.

"Baby Bat, why do you sit there so forlornly? Is it because you've finally admitted defeat?" Koan's voice drifted into my earshot, accompanied by his footsteps. He knelt on the other side of the barred door, looking into my eyes, a cold look in his eyes. I glared at him.

"Go fuck yourself." I hissed, causing him to smirk.

"Now, now Iris. No need to get so touchy. I was merely enquiring." He said in his slow voice. I narrowed my eyes.

"And I was merely stating what you could do to use your time more effectively." I said in a matter-of-fact tone. He chuckled and stood up.

"No matter, Baby Bat. Remember, you're only here because you have something I want, that I can't get without you. Your child will be mine and as soon as you do your job you'll be free." He said, yet his words did not reassure me. I felt rather threatened, which I think was his intention.

"As in free to go home or free in another way?" I asked suspiciously. He merely smiled grimly.

"Whichever I feel like." He stated simply and walked away. I felt my energy wane and I slumped against the bars, watching Zexion through the mirror as he sat at his usual place at the table, picking half-heartedly at a plate of eggs. The others were at the table too, laughing and talking with Alleya. I growled under my breath, but my heart wasn't in it anymore. I was giving up on seeing them again. I closed my eyes, drifting into a dreamlike state. _Iris…. My child...Don't give up…_ My eyes snapped open as I heard my father's voice.

"Dad?" I called, but got no answer. _Just your imagination Sirix. It's this place doing that to you._ I told myself, but I couldn't get rid of the feeling it left me with. "Hurry up Zexion." I murmured.

"_Superior wants you to start your training sessions again today Fifteen. You need to keep in shape." Saix informed Alleya as they all sat around the dining table. Zexion looked up in surprise at the second in command's words._

"_Do you really think that's wise Isa? She isn't exactly in a battle-worthy condition." He pointed out. Saix gave him a stern look._

"_Relax Ienzo; I'm sure Larxene will go easy on her in her current state." He said calmly. Zexion stared at him as if he were crazy. He stood up, took the taller man by the arm and led him outside the dining room._

"_Isa, You are aware of the relationship between them right? Larxene nearly killed her the last time they fought." He argued. Saix gave him a cool stare._

"_That was a rage driven battle. This will be in a controlled environment and in a training session. We won't allow her to be injured." He explained coolly, earning a begrudging and reluctant nod from Zexion. _

"_Fine. But if anything happens I'm holding you responsible." He said, walking away. Saix shook his head. The sixth member had become incredibly touchy since he found out about Sirix's condition. If he didn't do something soon he may become unbearable._

"_Okay Larxene, this is just a training session. There must be no intent to kill or injure Sirix. We don't need to lose one of our most valuable members." Saix explained to the blonde woman. She rolled her eyes._

"_Yeah, okay, whatever Saix. Just move your arse out of our arena and we'll get started." She instructed in a somewhat adolescent tone of voice. Her eyes glinted dangerously has Alleya took her place opposite her. Larxene flashed her a wicked grin and summoned her weapons, the knives glinting as dangerously as the gleam in her eyes. Alleya gulped, taking a defensive stance, her only protection being the cloak she wore._

"_Let's begin shall we?" Larxene proposed, moving forward with a lightning quick motion as she spoke, slashing at the air with her kunai. Alleya only just dodged in time, narrowly escaping the glinting blades as they sliced the air where she had been. She let out a small squeal and ran away from Larxene, dodging and weaving to avoid the Nymph's attacks. Vexen and Zexion watched the session with great intensity._

"_Her pattern's all wrong. Sirix usually takes the aggressive side, even with Larxene. And she usually uses Larxene's speed to her advantage. Today she's acting like Roxas when you threaten to use him as a lab rat." Zexion murmured to Vexen. He nodded slowly, agreeing with his apprentice. _

"_Hey Zexy, does she take the aggressive side in the bedroom too?" Xigbar asked snidely, earning a long glare from the younger member. He stopped grinning and focused on the two women. Suddenly Xaldin walked over with Axel._

"_Hey what's going on?" Xaldin asked. Xigbar grinned._

"_Larxy and Rixy are training." He had a box of popcorn in his hand and now he picked up a handful, eating it while watching the fight closely._

"_Oh boy, a bitch fight!" Axel exclaimed, stealing some of the popcorn and settling himself down next to Xigbar. Zexion rolled his eyes at their comments, but didn't stop noting all the differences in Sirix's (_Alleya's_) technique. _

"_Why isn't she summoning her weapons? At this rate she'll be killed." He muttered anxiously. Vexen narrowed his eyes, examining the fight intensely. Suddenly Larxene had Alleya on the ground, a knee in her stomach, a knife to her throat. Just when Larxene thought she'd finished it though, Alleya had grabbed the Kunai from her hand and flipped her off of her, onto her back. She raised her arm to stab her but an electric pulse shot through her body and she cried out, dropping the Kunai hastily and moving away from her opponent. She cried out from the shock but kept it together, backing away. Larxene picked herself up from the ground, retrieving her weapons and stowing them away. As Alleya approached where the others were, Axel slung an arm around her shoulders._

"_You didn't stab her? Maybe Larxene can show you how it's done." He suggested. Xigbar walked over now, a grin on his face._

"_But dude, Zexy already did. That's how she ended up knocked up." He pitched in. A look of thought crossed his features. "Hey dude, was she Zexion's first?" he asked. Xaldin shrugged._

"_She might have been. The kid was only six when he went through the darkness." He replied casually_

"_More importantly, was Zexion her first?" Axel asked, a grin on his face._

"_Dunno. We'll have to ask her." _

"_Hey Sirix! Was Zexion your first?" Axel found himself being hit in the face by Xaldin. "Dude why did you punch me?" He demanded. Xaldin gave him a serious look._

"_You prick! You don't just go around asking people stuff like that. You have to be subtle on such a hush-hush subject" A look of realisation crossed Axel's face and he lowered his voice to talk to Alleya._

"_Oh right. Hey Sirix, could you kindly tell us if Zexy was the first guy you fucked or what?" He whispered. Zexion buried his face in his hands._

"_Oh for heaven's sake…" He murmured, rolling his eyes, unable to believe they were actually asking those questions of Sirix. Vexen looked through the notes on his clipboard, a small smirk on his face._

"_Well considering the result of her blood tests…" _

"_DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE VEXEN!" Zexion cut him off angrily. The others started laughing raucously, slapping him on the back._

"_Okay guys lets go inside. I'm starved." Axel suggested. They all followed his lead, traipsing back to the castle. Alleya trailed behind, breathing heavily. This organization thing was more difficult than she had anticipated. How had Sirix managed it? _

_Zexion had gone ahead of everyone else, not particularly wanting to spend valuable time exchanging banter. He had to do some research. He looked through the dresser for any information of value, like Sirix's locket. She always had it in a case when not wearing it. He knew that she hadn't worn it today, which meant it had to be around here somewhere. He searched the entire room but couldn't find it anywhere. It was unlike Sirix to have misplaced her locket and not be looking for it. He frowned and then he thought about her tactics in the training session. Totally off what she was usually like. Each of the members had their own unique fighting style. She usually went after the goal, not running away. Her hot temper often aided her in battle but there had been no temper in this battle, just fear. What was going on?_

"_Have you lost something?" Alleya asked him. He turned around, taken by surprise._

"_Uh, yes I misplaced a valuable piece of equipment." He said. He had no idea why he was lying to her, but something seemed off with Sirix and until he knew what, he had to be cautious. Alleya nodded._

"_Oh okay, would you like help finding it?" She asked. He shook his head._

"_No, it's fine. I'm sure I'll find it later." He sat on the end of the bed, thinking. "Sirix, is everything okay? You've been distant lately, not at all like your usual self." He asked, finally deciding to see what was going on. She looked startled for a moment, and a little worried._

"_I'm fine. I've just been thinking a lot." She lied hastily. He frowned, not convinced._

"_About what? We're a couple Sirix; we need to be able to communicate." He pressed on, and the confused look became one of slight panic. She wet her lips lightly._

"_About a lot of things lately. I'm just worried." She said slowly, busying herself with folding a shirt and putting it back into the dresser neatly. He pulled her close, putting his arms around her waist. _

"_The baby? I promise nothing will happen to make us lose it." He reassured her. Alleya almost broke her cover but kept her character._

"_Yeah, I know I'm just… oh I don't know anymore. I'm just tired after today's training session. I might just have a rest." She said. He nodded and stood up and then stopped._

"_Sirix, what happened to your locket?" He asked. She looked surprised._

"_Locket? What locket?" She asked, worried that there was something she hadn't been informed of. Zexion gave her a puzzled look._

"_Yes, the necklace your father gave you for your thirteenth birthday. It missing. Didn't you notice?" He inquired gently, the wheels turning in his head. She panicked, casting about for an answer, finally she gave a shaky laugh._

"_Oh I lost that on a mission the other day." She said off-handedly. Zexion raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Instead he stood up and kissed her on the top of her head._

"_I'll leave you to rest. Sleep well Sirix." He said, leaving. She breathed a sigh of relief, not realising that he didn't seem convinced, more rather suspicious. _

"_Even, I need your opinion." Zexion said the moment Vexen opened his door. Vexen saw the serious expression on Zexion's face, mingled with concern and he stepped aside to let him in._

"_What's the problem Ienzo?" He inquired, knowing that something must have been up to have his student concerned. Zexion sat in the desk chair, running his hands through his hair._

"_It's Sirix. She's been acting strange since the day we found out she was pregnant. I noticed it the moment she came back. At first I put it down to shock and confusion but it's been two weeks Vexen. You know what Sirix is like. She comes to terms with things within two hours, not two weeks. Even something as big as this. She'd take time and then be okay after a couple of days at the most. The way she acts is different. She's distant, she doesn't laugh or smile truly anymore. I haven't seen a real smile from her since she found out. And the fighting style, it's all wrong. I noticed the moment she came back from her walk that something was wrong. She doesn't have any scars or bruises from missions, no callouses from wielding Soul Stealer and Life Weaver, nothing to indicate she'd even been in a battle with a heartless before. Even, you have to help me figure this out. I asked her about the locket too." Vexen had been listening patiently while Zexion said his piece and now he spoke._

"_Locket?" He asked. Zexion sighed and ran a hand through his hair again._

"_She wears this locket her father gave her for her thirteenth birthday. She hardly ever takes it off and when she does she always puts it in a case in the dresser. She never takes it off on a mission or anything. I asked her where it was and she said she lost it on a mission, after asking what I was referring too."_

"_But isn't it just as likely that she merely had a lapse in memory and did lose it on a mission?" Vexen asked, gently contradicting his fellow member. Zexion shook his head._

"_She hasn't had a mission since that one to Bambi's forest. And she had her locket the day everything changed. If she lost it, she'd know and she'd look for it. She wouldn't forget that she owned it. It's her most prized possession." He saw the realisation fill Vexen's face and breathed out heavily. "I'm not insane Vexen. I know something's wrong. I don't think that woman is Sirix. It just seems too unlikely. Help me out old friend." He pleaded. Vexen stroked his chin thoughtfully and then nodded._

"_What you say sounds plausible. I noticed the subtle changes myself. She has indeed been unlike Sirix. Her behaviour around the other members is very unlike her. And she hasn't let me so much as near her with a needle or any of my equipment to run any tests. Which I need to do in order to determine that everything with the child is going smoothly." Vexen agreed, thinking things through. He stood up and placed a hand on Zexion's shoulder. "We'll observe her closely Ienzo. Until we have more evidence we can't act. I suggest you go get some rest and observe her actions and reactions over the next few days and then when we have solid evidence we can act."_

**Another two weeks later…**

"_It's time Ienzo. We need to act." Vexen said solemnly. Zexion nodded and walked into the room where Alleya was lying unconscious on the bed. Vexen raised an eyebrow._

"_A mild sedative to stop her from fighting back." The younger Nobody explained simply. Vexen smirked and moved to the foot of the bed. Zexion placed his hands under her arms and Vexen took her feet and together they carried her through a Dark Corridor into a basement area of the castle. They set her down in a chair, fixing her arms to the arm-rest. Zexion pulled out a needle and injected the serum into her arm. The girl slowly came to, looking around her in a state of delirium._

"_Where am I?" She asked, squinting in the bright light that hung from the wall beside her. Zexion and Vexen moved into her sights and her eyes widened at the serious expressions on their faces._

"_You're in one of the basement areas of the castle. Now I think the more important question is _who_ are you and where is Sirix?" His question startled her and she cursed herself for getting caught. Zexion drummed his fingers impatiently against the table top and waited impatiently for her answer. Finally she spoke._

"_I don't know what you're talking about. I am Sirix. Zexion, you know me better than anyone. How could you honestly think that I'm not who I am?" She asked, sounding slightly desperate. He stood up straighter._

"_You're right, I do know Sirix better than anyone and that is how I know you are not her. She isn't like you. She is kind, and friendly, and looks out for her friends. You do none of these. You are cold, shallow and distant. You know nothing of our organization, or the friendships we have here. You don't know anything of her life before she came here. You don't even know the most fundamental things about her, like that she hasn't gone on a mission for a month and a half now. Or that she hates Marluxia. You may have the others fooled but I know her better than anyone and you are not my partner, in any context." Zexion's words were filled with a cold hatred. Vexen placed a hand on the younger Nobody's shoulder to control him and to calm him. Zexion just shook it off, turning away._

"_Just tell me where to find my partner." He murmured. The girl scoffed._

"_Like I'd tell you anything. You have been so gullible. You believed every word I said and didn't question it. Until now it would seem. You'll never find her because I won't talk." She said defiantly. Vexen just raised an eyebrow._

"_Is that so?" He asked, a look of interest crossing his features and Zexion noticed the slightly crazed yet calculating look in his eyes. _

"_What are you thinking Vexen?" Zexion murmured in a low whisper. The scientist just smiled briefly and opened a portal out of the holding cell. Zexion frowned and turned to Alleya._

"_Lets try again. Tell me who you are and where Sirix and our child are and I'll consider letting you get away alive. But until you tell me are not going anywhere." He threatened her. Fear crossed her features and then her face went impassive again._

"_You don't scare me Nobody. I'm am slave to a powerful man, who will destroy you, using your own child against you. My master will defeat your 'Lord Xemnas' with ease and when he does, you will die along with him." She spat angrily, defiant even while in a critical position. At this moment, Vexen returned, a small black briefcase in his hand. He set it on the table, flicking open the catches with a fluid motion. _

"_I assume she is refusing to speak? Perhaps this will loosen her tongue." He said mildly, pulling a canister of clear liquid out of the case and a syringe. He opened the canister carefully, inserting the tip of the syringe and extracting the liquid with precision._

"_What's that?" Alleya demanded, fear causing her eyes to widen. Vexen smiled mildly, fixing a needle point to the syringe and testing it carefully._

"_This is a chemical compound of Hydrochloric acid, liquid Nitrogen and Mercury, mixed correctly to produce a colourless and odourless poison. It is a highly toxic compound, if injected into your system you will have a mere fifteen minutes to live. We do in fact have an antidote for this toxin, however, it is not going to be administered until we get our answers." So saying he injected the compound into her system, jabbing her sharply in the arm and straight into her bloodstream. She cried out, her eyes widening._

"_You just injected a poison into my system!" She cried. Vexen nodded._

"_I'm aware of that. I'm also aware of the fact that if you keep complaining you'll run out of time. So I suggest that if you want to live you start talking." He kept his tone of voice stern, and slightly intimidating. He folded his arms across his chest, waiting for her to answer his questions. Beads of sweat started forming on her brow and Zexion and Vexen waited patiently. The cold fury was still on Zexion's face._

"_Oh well look at that, it's already begun. Can you feel your heart swelling in your chest? And the burn of your lungs? That's the effect that the toxin has on you." Vexen said calmly, waiting for his words to sink in. The girl's eyes bugged out in fear and she started to ramble, her words tumbling out of her mouth at an alarming rate. Vexen held up his hand to silence her._

"_Stop. Slow down. Let's begin again. Who are you and what have you done with Sirix?" The girl swallowed dryly._

"_My name is Alleya Manchez, I'm Koan's creation. I was made an exact copy of Sirix, but unfortunately my master did not take into account the wounds or events that could change her anatomy or physical appearance. I was cloned two years ago from her DNA. She is currently being held at Koan's fort." Her words were shaky as she explained verything that had happened since she was cloned. When she got to the part about Koan stalking Sirix in her dreams, Zexion stopped her._

"_Wait, how did he managed to access her mind and implant those dreams? And more importantly make them reality?" He asled. Alleya smiled slightly, a glow of admiration shining in her eyes._

"_That's one of my father's abilities. The mind is at its weakest in a subconscious state. My master can access the minds of others and implant memories, images, ideas and dreams into them. He was weakened by Xemnas seventeen years ago and destroyed, but not completely. His essence remained and so was brought back. But he was weak. He gained strength slowly and soon he could access people's minds again, but Sirix has a strong mind, even in a stronger state he could only access her thoughts in her subconscious state of mind. The ritual which Hericles performed on Sirix was an ownership ritual. It bound her to him, and now as she grows stronger, so does he. Finally he managed to gain more power and could influence the pathways of a person's travel. The mark she bares is one that allows him to find her anywhere and alter her course when needed. A month ago he applied that technique and sent me in her place to your organization." She explained, calmer now. Zexion, however, was getting angrier by the minute. Her words sparked a hatred in him that Vexen knew would be difficult to quell._

"_Where is the fort and how can we get there?" Vexen asked before Zexion could say anything. Alleya frowned, clenching her fists anxiously._

"_My master will kill me if I tell you." She said, squirming in the chair, twisting her wrists uncomfortably in the straps. Zexion lost his temper at that moment and lurched forward, gripping her shoulders and pushing her against the back of the chair._

"_How about we make it easy for you? If you don't tell us how to get where my partner and child are I will personally kill you, I guarantee you." He growled angrily. Vexen grabbed hold of his shoulder._

"_Ienzo, calm yourself. We don't want her heart to stop before the poison has had a chance to take ultimate effect." He warned. Zexion let go reluctantly, casting her a look deadly enough to kill her, if not kill then seriously maim. Vexen looked at her pitifully. "If you don't tell us, then this antidote," He pulled out a canister of equally clear liquid as the toxin. "Well let's just say it won't be required." His words had the desired effect. Alleya gave them the details._

"_In my dresser there is a crystal bottle filled with a blue liquid. All you have to do is allow a single drop to touch a surface it will become a portal to my master's dominion." She said, panic causing her throat to tighten. Vexen gave her a cool smile._

"_Thank you Alleya. Now I bid you good day. Zexion?" He turned away, calling Zexion to follow him. A dark corridor formed and Alleya called out. _

"_What about my antidote?" She demanded. Vexen smiled._

"_Oh you won't be needing that." He explained in a mild tone of voice. The girl stared at him._

"_You mean I'm going to die? Oh my god you killed me! My fifteen minutes are up!" She exclaimed. Vexen rolled his eyes._

"_No. you won't be requiring it because you're not poisoned. The liquid I injected into your arm is just water." He said, as if it were so obvious. She gaped._

"_But the burning, and the sweating…" She trailed off. He gave a wicked smile._

"_All your own conjuring I'm afraid. Isn't the power of the human mind absolutely amazing?" He said brightly before walking through the portal, followed by Zexion, leaving a frustrated and confused Alleya bound in her chair._

"_I'll get the portal key and you go inform Xemnas. We're going to need his help on this one." Zexion said. Vexen nodded and went off in the direction of Xemnas' study. Zexion walked to his room, rummaging through the dresser until he found the crystal bottle. Then he went to find Vexen and Xemnas. It was time to get Sirix back._

I sat huddled in my corner, a hand on my swollen stomach. It wouldn't be long now. At the rate this was going, I'd be having my baby in another month and there didn't seem to be any chance of me escaping this prison. If Zexion didn't hurry up and get here Koan would take our baby. I looked at the mirror again, noticing with some confusion that the mirror seemed to be blurred. The picture was dismal, a dreary room with a blurred spectrum of lights. I was confused by the image, and stood up to get a better view of the mirror. I walked to the door of my cell, trying to see the image better. Koan appeared, took one look at the mirror and turned to me.

"Baby Bat, look at you. You're almost due. It's not long now Baby Bat.I'll be done with you soon." He grinned wickedly, a wicked gleam in his eyes. I shuddered at his gaze. He touched my cheek gently. "Or perhaps I'll keep you for other uses." He smiled in a way that caused shivers of disgust to run down my spine.

"Not likely Koan." I heard his voice before I saw him, that voice that I compared to with books and the sound of turning pages. I lifted my head up and couldn't stop the smile from appearing on my face.

"Zexion!" I cried, tears pricking my eyes. He had come for me, despite everything, he had come to find me. Koan turned around just in time to have Zexion's fist planted in his face. He collapsed on the ground, surprise on his face.

"Don't _ever_ touch Sirix again!" Zexion snarled, summoning his Lexicon and preparing himself. Suddenly one of the skeleton creatures appeared and raised a steel axe above Zexion's head.

"ZEXION LOOK OUT!" I screamed, clutching the barred door, trying to pull it off its hinges. Zexion ducked out of the way, throwing up his weapon to defend himself, shooting a funnel of flames at the monster. More of the creatures appeared and at the same time, so did the other members of the organization. They engaged in battle, Zexion fighting off multiple creatures with Xigbar by his side, shooting his arrow guns vigilantly. Larxene battled another group of them, throwing her Kunai very which way. All the members were there, fighting in one way or another. I had never been so happy to see Larxene and Marluxia. I felt my spirits rise more every time they destroyed another skeleton creature. I watched the fight from behind my cell door, struggling to open it. Suddenly Lexaeus appeared at the door.

"Move aside Sirix." He ordered. I did as I was told, moving to the back corner of the room. He motioned for Xaldin and Saix to come assist him and together they pulled the door off its hinges with a great effort. The noise was incredibly loud, the removal of the door destroying half the wall. I rushed over to them, hugging them tightly, though awkwardly, in my overly pregnant state. The battle sounds slowly faded, as they defeated the last of the creatures. Zexion rushed over to me, a look of concern on his face.

"Are you alright?" He asked me. I smiled, hugging him.

"I'm fine. I didn't think you'd find me." As I said this more tears pricked my eyes and I wiped them away hastily. "Damn it. I'm so emotional." I said, laughing shakily. Zexion smiled but there was concern in his eyes.

"Let's get you out of here." He murmured, putting an arm around my waist to support me. Vexen walked over, a grim expression on his face.

"We can't find any sign of Koan. He must have escaped during the battle." A look of fury crossed Zexion's face before I touched his arm.

"Don't worry about it Zexion. It's not important." I assured him. I just wanted to get out of here. I had spent a month in this prison, I didn't want to be here anymore.

"Hmm…" Vexen examined the image on the screen carefully, lost in thought. A look of concerned crossed Zexion's features as we waited for Vexen to speak his thoughts.

"What's wrong?" I asked, my voice slightly panicked. He turned around.

"Nothing is wrong as such, more rather, interesting." He explained. Confusion kicked in and I sat up, with much difficulty in my state. Zexion sat beside me, holding my hand gently. He'd barely left my side since we'd returned to the Castle. Now he squeezed my hand, whether to reassure me or myself, I'm not entirely sure. When Vexen realised we were waiting for an explanation he started to speak.

"It would seem Koan is a bit of a scientist, much like myself. He has experimented with the gene composition of Sirix's child and sped up the growth process. At the rate your child is developing, you only have another few weeks until you're due. I could try to find a way to slow it down again but I would advise against it. If we tamper with the genealogy too much it may cause an issue." I felt my stomach twist into knots. I wasn't going to lose my child for anyone, not even the chance to slow the growth down. I shook my head before Zexion could even say a word.

"No. Just leave it. He'll be fine." I said. Zexion raised his eyebrows at me.

"He? Who are you referring to?" He asked. I smiled softly and ran a hand on my stomach.

"Our baby. He is definitely a he." At his puzzled look I sighed. "Koan performed tests to find out. I don't think he minded either way what the sex was, but when he discovered it was a boy he was ecstatic." I explained carefully. Vexen found this intriguing and went off in his own little bubble of thought, but Zexion's features clouded over, a look of fury crossing his features threateningly. I hastily took hold of his hand again, trying to calm him.

"You should rest." He said simply after a moment of silent debate. I frowned, knowing that he was likely to do something foolish or reckless while I was gone.

"Only if you promise to come too; I don't want you doing anything you'll regret later." I bargained. He glared at me but didn't argue. He helped me to my feet and together we made our way to the room. Once we were alone for the first time since we'd gotten back he pulled me into a tight embrace, clutching me tightly.

"I'm so sorry Sirix. I shouldn't have let you go off alone." He apologised. I shook my head.

"If you had come, Koan would've killed you instantly. Then where would I be?" I reasoned. He pulled away, anger still clouding his features.

"I have to go. He's still out there. He has to pay." He said, anger making his voice slightly rough. I grabbed his hand again and place it on my stomach, where the child rested peacefully. It shifted under his touch.

"Feel that? That's your son. If you go after Koan you'll never have the chance to meet him. I'm not letting you miss that opportunity Zexion. So you have a choice. Stay here by your own choice or fight me to get past. Because I'm not letting you leave here without a fight." I warned, moving myself between him and the door, keeping a hold of his hand. I saw the fury melt away as realisation dawned and slowly he come closer, leaving a gloved hand on my stomach. I felt the child move in response and he smiled, hugging me again.

"I'm staying here. You're right, I'd be stupid to give up this chance." He looked down at me and kissed me gently. "I won't leave your side between now and the day Koan is found and destroyed. He wanted you for a reason and I won't let that man get you again." He promised.


	7. Family and Madness

Alicia Styles Chapter Seven The Fifteenth Member

Pain stabbed at my stomach, a breathtaking, murderous pain that made me cry out in agony. It woke me from my dreamless sleep in such a way that I didn't even know what was happening. It dawned on me as the second roll of pain wracked my body and I cried out again. Zexion woke up immediately, summoning his Lexicon instantly, looking about the room for an attacker. Instead he saw me clutching at my abdomen.

"What's wrong?" He asked. I looked at him with fear in my eyes.

"It's starting." I whispered.

_Xemnas sat upright in his chair at the disturbance in the 'aura' of the castle. Saix stood by his side, as usual, and looked concerned as the superior's eyes clouded over._

"_Superior, what is the problem?" He asked. Xemnas turned to the Blunette, a combination of curiosity and concern swirling in his amber eyes._

"_It would appear that Sirix has gone into labour. Wake Even, we need his expertise in this particular situation. Make sure none of the others hear of this yet. The last thing Sirix and Zexion need is the other members getting in the way and pestering them. She'll be high strung enough as it is." Saix nodded and departed to do his tasks. Xemnas opened a corridor and appeared next to Zexion's bed, startling both young Nobodies. _

"_Jeeze Xemnas, isn't enough that I'm in pain? You have to scare me now too?" Sirix joked weakly, her face contorting with the pain of the contractions. Xemnas frowned slightly as the door opened and Vexen walked in with Saix, closing the door behind him and locking it. He carried a small black bag and from it he drew out a needle and a small jar of some kind of chemical. Sirix's eyes widened at the sight of the needle._

"_Don't come near me with that thing Vexen!" She warned in a strained voice. The scientist smiled tersely._

"_Sirix, unless you want to suffer from an incredibly painful labour, I suggest you allow me to inject you with an anaesthetic. It will numb the pain down to a mild pain, rather than the intense contractions you're suffering from now." His words seemed to wake her up some and she nodded slowly, reluctantly. Vexen smiled grimly and injected the needle quickly._

"OUCH! You bitch that hurt!" I yelled. He shrugged apologetically.

"Sorry Sirix, it had to be done. You won't feel much after though." The scientist sounded so calm compared to Zexion, who was hastily muttering to himself. I couldn't hear what he was saying but I assumed it was some kind of mantra for himself. I waited for the pain to cease but it didn't. Instead it increased intensely. I bit back a scream, gripping Zexion's hand hard. He cursed at the sudden pressure, in a very 'Un-Zexion like' manner. Strangely enough I found it funny. I started laughing and couldn't stop, despite the pain that was still wracking my body, the time between contractions growing shorter by the minute. Xemnas stared at me as if I was insane, but I couldn't look at him. I couldn't look at anyone because my eyes were starting to fill with tears from laughing so hard. There was a sudden disturbance in the room as a portal of black mist formed and Xaldin led Axel into the room.

"What is she laughing at? Is she mad or just hormonal?" Saix turned around, a look of annoyance on his face.

"How did they found out?" He groaned. Zexion looked up to see the other members. I didn't make a comment as my body was wracked with spasms of pain. I bit back a scream, gripping Zexion's hand tightly.

"Xemnas, I think we need to hurry this up." I clenched my fist, one gripping Zexion's hand, the other a tight hold on the bed sheets. Zexion calmly put up with my tight grip, which astounded me. I bit my lip painfully until it bled. I noticed the expressions on Xaldin and Axel's faces and knew they realised exactly what was going on. Axel's face drained of colour and horror flooded his features. Xaldin on the other hand went bright red.

"Oh my. We'll uh, leave you to your privacy." The Lancer said graciously, embarrassed. Axel was about to lose it, I could tell. At that same point in time a contraction, worse than anything I'd ever felt before then, and Axel cried out in horror, just as I cried in pain. It was too much for Axel to handle. He fled through the portal, screaming hoarsely. Xaldin followed, averting his eyes. I felt sweat bead on my brow and pain sliced my body like a knife.

"Even, isn't there something you can do to help her?" Zexion pleaded. I had never heard him sound so helpless.

"I don't understand why the anaesthetic didn't work. She shouldn't be feeling anything anymore. It has never failed before." Vexen pondered. I gripped Zexion's hand tighter, turning my head to look at him.

"Zexion… I'm scared. I'm losing him." I whispered, tears filling my eyes. I had no idea how I knew this, but it felt like the child's spirit was ebbing away. He touched my cheek gently.

"Don't say that Sirix. Don't say that. He'll be okay." Zexion reassured me, looking in my eyes and squeezing my hand. The pleading look he gave Xemnas was one only a man in his position could give. I felt another contraction control my body and I whimpered.

"Zexion… Help me." I pleaded. He gripped my hand to give me reassurance.

"It'll be okay Sirix, you just have to push." He dabbed my forehead with a damp cloth, kissing my cheek gently. "You're doing great, just keep trying." He said, brushing strands of hair out of my eyes.

_The other organisation members were all grouped in Axel's room when the fire elemental portalled in. They all looked up and saw his pale horror stricken face, and then saw Xaldin follow after with an ashamed expression on his and immediately inquired after them. _

"_What's going on dude?" Xigbar asked. Axel merely shook his head. Xaldin sighed._

"_They're uh… well… you see…" He trailed off, trying to find the right words to explain it. Just as he fumbled for the words, Demyx rushed in._

"_Oh My God! Rixy is having the baby!" He exclaimed, causing a murmur of excitement and interest, and slight confusion._

"_She's having the baby? Mother of Darkness do you mean to say that we'll have a mini Zirix running around?" Luxord asked. The others gave him a weird look._

"_Zirix?" Marluxia asked. Luxord gave a lopsided grin._

"_Yeah it's what their names combined would be. Zexion plus Sirix makes Zirix." He explained. A mischievous grin crossed Axel's features._

"_That or Sexion." The implications of the name made the others laugh raucously. Axel remained grinning, having recovered from his shock. _

"_Should we go and give her our support?" Roxas asked timidly. Xaldin shook his head, eyes widening._

"_Trust me kid, you don't want to be there. She'll be fine. She has Zexion with her and Xemnas and Saix, and Vexen is looking after her. There's more than enough support in that room at this point in time." Xaldin assured the youngest Nobody. Another cry of pain emanated from down the hall, this louder than the others. _

"_Thank god that will never happen to me." Larxene muttered, filing her nails._

"_Only 'cause you're too much of a bitch to get anyone to do anything with you, let alone love you." Axel said with another of his trademark grins. Larxene threw her file at him, rolling her eyes. It stabbed him in the arm and he swore loudly. "What the fuck Larxene?" He exclaimed. She gave him a curt smile, shrugging._

"_Oops, it slipped." She said sarcastically. "In any case, there is no one decent in this world to do anything with. Certainly none of you." Their snide back and forth banter made the others laugh, though Roxas was worried about Sirix. She was his best friend and the sound of her cries worried him immensely._

"You're almost there Sirix. One last push and it'll all be over." Zexion coaxed. I did as he said and gave one final push, struggling for breath but managing it. I heard the sound of crying and an exhausted smile came to my lips.

"You did it Sirix. You did it." He murmured, kissing my forehead. Vexen moved to the side of the bed with a bundle in his arms. He held it out to me and I took my child in my arms.

"He's okay." Vexen offered me a smile and Xemnas stood from the chair he had occupied.

"Shall we give them some space gentlemen?" The superior asked. I knew they had agreed because they all left the room. There was just Zexion, our child and myself. Zexion touched the child gently, stroking the smooth skin of his cheek with an index finger.

"He's beautiful, like his mother." He said softly. I smiled softly, cradling him in my arms.

"What shall he be called?" I asked, allowing him to come up with the name. He thought carefully and I waited patiently. Eventually a smile came to his face.

"Xarreko seems the perfect name." He replied, kissing the top of our son's head. I smiled.

"That's fine by me. He really is beautiful." The joy I was feeling was displayed on Zexion's face. "We have a beautiful baby boy and Koan and his minions won't ever get him." I murmured happily. A look of concern crossed Zexion's features.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, just as Xareko started to cry. Zexion gave me a brief smile.

"I just realised I forgot something. I'll be back. I have to go see Vexen momentarily." He kissed me gently and stood up, walking out of the room hastily. I gently rocked my child… _my child. It's so weird to think of myself as a mother. Am I ever going to get used to it?_

_Vexen looked up as Zexion entered the lab looking slightly flustered._

"_Is everything alright Ienzo? Is something wrong with Sirix or the child?" He asked. Zexion shook his head._

"_No, everything is fine with them. I just was reminded of something. Sirix mentioned Koan and his followers." A look of realisation crossed Vexen's features._

"_Alleya…" The scientist murmured. Zexion nodded. He had come to the same conclusion. "We never did let her out did we?" _

"_No I don't believe we did."_

"_Do you mean to say we killed an innocent girl because we were too caught up in everything else to remember her?" _

"_Well I wouldn't exactly call her innocent, I mean she did masquerade as Sirix deliberately and who knows what may have happened if we didn't figure it out-"_

"_Vexen, just answer the question." _

"_Yes I believe we did." Zexion nodded thoughtfully._

"_Hmmm…. Want to get some coffee?" Vexen gave a cool smile and walked out the door._

"_Yeah sure, I'm in need of a caffeine hit after this morning's events."_

X-x-X-x-X

**Three months later…**

"_XEMNAS! XEMNAS!" Demyx barrelled into the dining room, screaming at the top of his lungs. Xemnas sighed and put down the forkful of eggs he was about to consume._

"_What is it Demyx?" He asked in an exasperated tone. _Of course every time I get some spare time, something happens to ruin it._ He thought bitterly, tuning to look at the Nocturne with a bored expression on his face. Demyx looked extremely frightened or at least, freaked out to the max. He pointed towards the basement stairs._

"_T-there's a ghost in the basement. I could hear her calling out to me. She was crying. Xemnas SHE'S GONNA EAT ME!" The teen shrieked, causing Xemnas to sigh again._

"_Demyx, there is no ghost. And if there is, I highly doubt that she would bother herself with the likes of you." _

"_Yeah, we're not that lucky." Larxene muttered, painting her nails. Demyx looked utterly crestfallen. _

"_NO ONE EVER BELIEVES MEEEE!" He wailed, running off in hysterics. _

"_Axel-" Xemnas began to say. The redhead rolled his eyes, standing up._

"_I'll go check it out." He finished for the superior. Xemnas nodded._

"_Thank you Lea. Perhaps we will get a moment of peace when he has his curiosity sated." Luxord scoffed._

"_I highly doubt that superior. He'll just find something else to compensate for it." The gambler stated, smiling as Xemnas sighed again._

"_Well we can all dream." Axel laughed as he left, leaving the others behind._

"_Alright Demyx old buddy, where's this ghost lady of yours?" Axel asked, walking up behind the blond Nobody and hooking an arm around his shoulders. Demyx looked at him suspiciously._

"_You believe me? And it isn't just one of your pranks to make a fool out of me?"_

"_Of course I believe you kid, ghosts are very real. We just gotta find out what this one wants." Demyx's features lit up and he tugged on Axel's arm. _

"_She's this way!" He exclaimed excitedly, leading Axel into the basement of the castle._ **(Don't ask me how there is a basement in a floating castle because I'm not exactly certain myself. Let's just put it all down to the sheer awesomeness that is Xemnas.)**

"_So where is she?" Axel asked as they crept through the gloom of the basement. Demyx put a finger to his lips and motioned to a door in the wall. A soft sobbing noise could be heard from beyond the thick oak. Axel's eyes went wide as he heard the sobs._

"_I think you're right kid. There's someone- No. Something in there." Demyx's eyes seemed to be luminous blue orbs in the flickering light from the small candle he had brought. They grew wide with fear._

"_What should we do? What if she's a bad spirit?" He asked in a terrified squeak. Axel grinned._

"_We deal with heartless every day. I think we can deal with one restless spirit." Demyx nodded, swallowing his fear._

"_Right. So…. You wanna open the door?"_

"_Why can't you do it?" Axel protested, his voice seeming rather rough edge himself. _

"_I'm holding the candle. You're the one with the more aggressive weapons anyway. I wouldn't be much use in the frontline." The boy explained. Axel scowled._

"_Pussy." He muttered, but proceeded to the door. His hand shook as he reached out for the old fashioned handle. The knob rattled as he turned it, his breath heavy in the still air as he inched the door open. They both peered around the door and the sight before them sent them into shocked silence. Alleya slumped in the hard chair, her wrists bound to the arms by the leather straps. Her skin was pale and drawn, her head bowed in defeat. She was thin, you could see the bones in her arms and her clothes hung loosely on her frame. Glistening silver tears trailed down her face. Every now and then she struggled feebly against the restraints. Her charcoal and white checked hair hung in loose strands, framing her sallow face. Both males breathed in sharply. They were silent for quite a while before Demyx spoke._

"_Is that-?" He could hardly finish the sentence due to the shock. Axel shook his head._

"_No way, it can't be. I mean we only saw Sirix this morning and she was healthy as a horse." _

"_What if it was a sick horse?" The look Axel shot Demyx was enough to silence any more stupid questions. They stared at each other and Alleya for a few more minutes, the girl having finally noticed their presence._

"_Please… Help me…" She pleaded in a weak and hoarse voice. Demyx jumped back, startled._

"_She speaks! Axel what do we do?" He exclaimed. Axel placed a hand on the teen's shoulder._

"_Chill man. We have to take her to Xemnas. He'll know what to do."_

X-x-X-x-X

"… And you say she was in the basement? Perhaps Four and Six can help clear up this little mess…" Xemnas's voice floated through the gap in the door as I walked past, my mind elsewhere.

"What do you think she is superior? Some kind of imitation perhaps?" Xigbar's voice seemed unnaturally concerned. Their questions reminded me of when I first arrived at the castle and I thought that perhaps they had found a new Nobody, and a female no less. With anticipation and curiosity coursing through my veins I pushed open the door to the grey room to see Xemnas and a few of the other members gathered around a slumped figure in an ancient dining chair. They had their backs to me and I couldn't see who it was sitting in the chair. Axel turned around to see me and a panicked look crossed his features briefly before he rushed over to me. The gap left from his departure was quickly filled up by Demyx moving into his position.

"Sirix, what are you doing here?" He asked, his voice seeming slightly uncertain, and a little concerned. I strained to see past the Nobodies but couldn't see the figure between the collection of trademark cloaks.

"I was on my way to the library and heard voices. What's going on?" I explained, confusion crossing my features as I strained on my toes to see over the other members' heads. Axel moved into my line of sight again, steering me away from the group and towards the doors.

"Uh… Nothing. Just a kind of experiment. You should really go take a nap. You've had a strenuous few days. That last mission you went on knocked you round pretty bad. Where's Zexion, I'm sure he'd agree with me." He tried to steer me out of the room but I pulled away.

"What's going on Axel? Why do I get the feeling that you don't want me to know what's going on?" I demanded. He laughed nervously.

"I don't know what you're talking about Sirix. I wouldn't hide anything from you."

"Then why won't you let me see who it is you've got holed up in that chair?" I demanded, as the panic crossed his features again. Before he could protest I pushed past him and made my way over to the group of Nobodies. I shoved my way through them, elbowing Demyx out of the way to reach the centre of the circle. When my eyes rested on the figure in the chair my jaw dropped. Alleya stared back at me, her violet eyes dull and almost lifeless. He bones stuck out noticeably, the structure of her face completely changed to what she should have been. After the initial shock faded anger replaced it. I felt my blood begin to boil and I clenched my fist.

"You! What are you doing here?" I demanded, raising my fist dangerously, reading to punch the hell out of the woman who had almost destroyed my life. Demyx jumped on my back, gripping my arms behind my back.

"NO RIXY! DON'T HURT THE GHOST LADY!" Demyx cried as I flipped him off my back with ease. I looked at Alleya with fury pulsing through my body. Fear filled her eyes, her fragile state making her seem delicate.

"Please don't hurt me…" She pleaded pitifully. I leaned over her in the chair, slamming my hands on the arms, pinning her back.

"You helped kidnap me and tried to take my child from me and you're begging for mercy? Oh that's just perfect. Why shouldn't I just kill you right now Alleya? I mean it's not like anyone is missing you. Koan is in the wind, he'll stay that way if he's smart. He's not coming for you." I said in a low voice, pressing my face close to hers, intimidating her. I pulled back and then closed my hand around her throat. "What's to stop me from strangling the life out of you? Why shouldn't I just squeeze the air out of your lungs?" I squeezed her throat tighter and panic filled her eyes as she realised that I wasn't kidding. Xemnas placed a hand on my arm.

"That's enough Sirix. You don't want this on your conscience Sirix. You don't want this woman's blood on your hands." I slowly released my hold on the pitiful excuse for a woman before me, sighing.

"You're right, as usual Xemnas. I don't want my hands sullied with the blood of one so unworthy." I said coldly. Alleya caressed her neck gently, before starting to laugh hoarsely.

"_I'm_ the unworthy one? If anyone is unworthy it's you of that child. That child belongs to my master and he will have it. He hasn't forsaken me as you suggest, he's just biding his time. Tell me _Iris_, where is your beloved baby boy now? You didn't leave him alone did you?" She asked mockingly, false horror widening her eyes. "You won't be able to protect him forever you know. If I were you I'd go check on him, you know, just to make sure." Her words sent chills up my spine and flared my anger up again. Instead I turned away and started heading out of the room. "Oh and Sirix, you were right, Zexion really is a _great_ guy." The smug look on her face and tone of voice caused me to snap. I turned back around and planted my fist firmly into her face. I heard the satisfying crunch of her nose breaking and relished in the satisfaction that I could do this much to her. Blood poured out of her nose, into her lap and onto the white rug. Xemnas's expression was one of pain.

"Did you have to do that in the castle? I just had the carpets cleaned." I shrugged.

"Sorry, it was necessary. I'll pay for the next cleaner's bill." I volunteered. He scowled but sighed in defeat. I smiled sweetly and walked out of the room, ignoring the insults Alleya spat after me.

Despite my certainty that Alleya was bluffing, I felt anxious to get to the nursery to check on Xareko. I hurried up the flights of stairs to the nursery. The castle had undergone renovations to convert Zexion's room into a room big enough for both of us and a nursery. Saix was not impressed when his room was nominated to be changed into a nursery. I swear he nearly threw a temper tantrum when Xemnas informed him of the changes. But perhaps I was dreaming, because he was perfectly gracious afterwards. I smiled as I thought about the changes that had taken place since Xarreko was born. It had taken quite a lot of adapting for everyone, but most of all Zexion. He was always so flustered and panicky. It was really sweet the way he treated Xarreko with the utmost care, like he was a porcelain doll rather than a baby with Nobody DNA. I slowed my pace as I approached the nursery, not wanting to make too much noise in case the child was sleeping. I leaned in the doorway, spellbound by what I saw before me. Zexion sat in a chair with a fairy tale book in his lap and Xarreko's crib beside him, gently rocking it back and forth as he read the tale of the steadfast tin soldier. I watched in wonder, curious as to how he could be so calm when no one else was around. It was almost as if he was nervous to screw up when others were watching. I could see his expression as he told how the soldier went through everything imaginable to return to his paper dancer and his owner only to be thrown into the fire, and how the wind blew the paper dancer into the soldier's arms. As Zexion read that part of the story my eyes teared up. It was always my favourite fairy tale.

"… And when the maid cleaned out the fireplace the next morning, all that was left was a little paper cinder and a lump of tin shaped like a heart. The end." Zexion closed the book quietly, setting it aside to tuck Xarreko in. He gently touched his face, leaning down to kiss his forehead.

"You forgot the part where they lived happily ever after." I murmured, walking up behind him. He turned around and smiled, kissing me gently.

"I don't think you can refer to being melted down as living happily ever after." He replied casually, a finger tracing the contours of my cheekbones.

"All the soldier wanted was to be with his dancer, he got his wish in the end. They died together and were living in toy heaven happily." I argued playfully. He smiled again.

"I think the soldier might disagree with you. I don't think toys go to heaven." I laughed and moved out of his reach.

"Oh and when did you become an expert on such matters?" I teased. He shrugged.

"Around the time that I had to start reading children's fairy tales to three month old children." He replied blatantly. He pretended to study his nails, coming off as extremely gay.

"It's such a drag." He said, imitating Larxene. I rolled my eyes and shoved him playfully.

"Stop it, you look gay." I joked. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"You think I'm gay? Perhaps I should prove to you that I most definitely am not gay. If you would care to follow me, Madame." He ushered me through the adjoining door that led into our room, kissing me gently, guiding me to the bed. "Prepare to be amazed." He joked, kissing me again and pushing me onto the bed.

"It'll take some convincing I'm afraid. You could have your hands full with this one." I teased him. His eyes flashed and I let myself be caught up in his 'demonstration'.

X-x-X-x-X

"Is this blood?" Zexion held up the white shirt I had been wearing over my charcoal black singlet. Scarlet blood stained the front. I winced slightly. I'd forgotten about that.

"It isn't mine." I reassured him. He frowned.

"Then exactly who's blood is it?" I pulled my singlet over my head, adjusting it so that it was comfortable.

"Alleya's. I broke her nose about an hour ago. Before I came to see what you were doing." My words were casual, as if it was no big deal that my clone was in the castle. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I forgot she was still in the basement. Clearly she was still alive then. How surprising." He said, a faraway look in his eyes. I waved a hand in front of his eyes.

"Earth to Zexion, you're getting the crazed mad scientist look in your eye again. You worry me when you get that look." I stated. Zexion smiled at me, kissing me quickly.

"You shouldn't worry about me. I have to go see Vexen. This is a unique study opportunity. He's been dying to have new specimens to experiment with but Xemnas won't let him establish his own clone plantation. Alleya would be an excellent specimen." I frowned, biting my lip.

"You know, you get really scary when you go all science on me, but it's kind of hot." I said, smiling back at him again. "Just promise that I can watch while you dismember her, okay? I want to see that bitch suffer." I said darkly. He laughed and kissed me passionately.

"You're so beautiful when you go into a murderous rampage." He teased. I rolled my eyes at him.

"You only think that when I'm not trying to kill you." I retorted. He flashed me a lopsided grin and then kissed me one last time before ducking out the door. I rolled my eyes after him. He could be such a child sometimes. I walked into the nursery to see that Xarreko was awake again, gazing up at the mobile that hung above his crib with great intensity. His violet eyes were wide and concentrating intensely on the mobile. I smiled at his concentration. He was a sweet kid, with his deep violet eyes and violet hair streaked and tipped with black. He was so much like Zexion. I reached into the crib, lifting him onto my hip, tousling his hair. He giggled and nuzzled his face into my neck, a thumb in his mouth. I carried him downstairs, taking him into the dining room. Larxene sat on the sideboard, her ankles crossed as she painted her nails a deep crimson colour. She pulled a face when she saw me.

"Ughh, did you have to bring the brat? I mean it's annoying enough that I have to put up with Demyx but you and Zexion had to go and reproduce, didn't you? It's disturbing." She made a retching noise and I just ignored her. Xigbar walked in at that moment.

"Are you okay Larxene? You may want to cough up that hairball elsewhere, Xemnas is already pissed about the blood on the carpet, I don't think he'll appreciate anymore unwanted bodily substances staining his perfect white design." Xigbar teased. She flipped him off in response to his jibe.

"Random question dude, do you reckon it matters to Xemnas if the substance is also white? I mean if you can't see it…" Axel asked, earning a weird look from the third member.

"I don't need to know what you do in your personal time Axel, just make sure you wash your hands before you touch anything someone else may have to come into contact with." He said with a wicked grin. Axel looked slightly horrified momentarily before he flashed a grin of his own.

"Not me, I'm referring to Sirix and Zexy here. They were going at it again earlier, I was just wondering if you can even notice it on white sheets." I stared at him, shocked and kind of embarrassed. In response to his comment I picked up a balled up piece of paper and threw it at him, hitting his in the side of the head.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Flamo. I don't want to know why you were thinking about what Zexion and I do in our own time." I replied. He shrugged, feigning offense.

"You wound me Sirix. I was merely wondering if it counted." He replied, his green eyes twinkling. I rolled my eyes at him, throwing another piece of paper.

"Grow up Axel. You're more immature than half of the teenagers I used to know."

"What I want to know is, if you do it that many times in a day, how can you tell where the bodily fluids end and the sheet begins?" That was Luxord as he came out of the kitchen with a steaming plate of spaghetti. It was his turn for kitchen duty. Zexion entered the room and grinned at the other male members.

"With skill that none of you neophytes shall ever possess." He said casually, walking over to Sirix and Xarreko, kissing both of them lightly.

"Aww man… first he rubs the fact that he is smarter than us in our faces and now he's rubbing the fact that he gets laid more than us into our faces as well. This sucks balls man." Axel complained.

"That is curious actually, I mean, how can you two find the time between missions and the little tyke? It's not like you see each other for long enough to do anything." Xigbar asked as the other members filed into the room. Demyx stared at Xigbar, and then at the other members in turn.

"Okay that was definitely the wrong time to enter the room." He stated. Xemnas sighed.

"Can we please stop this conversation? We're at the dinner table and in the presence of a minor. I don't think Sirix and Zexion would appreciate their child learning such matters at such a young age." The silver haired man said, raising his hand to silence any last minute remarks. "We don't need to know about their private lives either for that matter." He added.

"Well you can't really call it a private life if you can hear it from three floors away Superior." Luxord remarked, causing the other older members to laugh indiscreetly. Xemnas fixed him with a stern glare.

"I said enough Luxord. Just this once can we please have a pleasant meal without sexual references or innuendos?" He sighed. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, with exception to the few whispered jokes and jibes and muffled giggles among the older, but more immature, members.

"Superior, may I ask what you intend to do with the woman found in the basement?" Xaldin asked, putting down his fork on a now empty plate. Xemnas swallowed the mouthful of food he had been chewing and considered the question.

"Well there is still a rather formidable opponent at large. Perhaps we can lure him out somehow with the knowledge that the child and Alleya are in fact still in the castle. It would be an excellent opportunity in any case." He explained, thinking it over in his mind. It seemed plausible that if they set a trap for Koan then he may just be stupid enough to fall for it. It would take some consideration but perhaps they could in fact lure him into their trap. Vexen nodded, the scientist also seeming deep in thought.

"There is a high possibility that it might work. Koan seems to be quite cunning, but our attack on the fort would have weakened him greatly. He will have gone to ground to recuperate and plan his next move. It may take him only weeks to recover, or even months, but we should start making plans straight away. The sooner we prepare then the better we can anticipate his attack when it comes. Superior I suggest we start with tighter security on Sirix and Xarreko." He gave me a sidelong glance when he said this and I started to protest.

"I know how to defend myself. I don't need protecting. As for Xarreko, he's never left alone. There doesn't need to be any more security." I argued, looking to Zexion for support. He shook his head.

"I agree with Vexen on this one. He got you once before Sirix, what's to say he won't do it again? I won't lose you again." He said in a decisive manner. Larxene stood up.

"Well I can see this is about to get very mushy and disturbing, so I'll take my leave." She said. Axel snorted.

"Ha! You only think it's disturbing because they're happy. Admit it Larxene, you're jealous of them." He challenged her.

"Oh please Axel. You and I both know that jealousy is an emotion. We don't feel emotions. Come to think of it, so is happiness. And seeing how they don't feel emotions either, they can't be happy." She retorted. He frowned.

"Maybe that's just because you are a cold hearted bitch that doesn't want to believe that there could be a happily ever after for any of us." Axel replied.

"See if you had've said I was a bitch that didn't possess a heart, it would've been more accurate. But you didn't. so you're in the wrong again it would seem." She said haughtily, the rest of us watching in shock. Suddenly Marluxia piped up.

"Ooooh cat fight!" He sounded so homosexual that Axel started pissing himself laughing, setting off everyone else and draining the tension. I rolled my eyes, picking up Xarreko from his place in the highchair.

"I'm going to leave you lunatics to your bickering and go train. If anyone wants to join they are more than welcome." I said airily, Xarreko giggling and sticking his thumb into his mouth. Demyx's face lit up at the offer.

"Can I come Rixy? I'll play with Xarreko while you train. He'll be safe with me I promise!" The kid pleaded. I smiled, nodding.

"That'd be great." I agreed, laughing at the enthusiasm in the boy's voice. Xarreko had become Demyx's new fascination and the blonde simply adored spending time playing with the little boy. Xarreko seemed to enjoy Demyx's company as well, but then again, he enjoyed anyone's company. He was such a happy kid, it was almost hard to believe he could have been part of some dastardly plan to destroy the organization. _Well no matter, Koan is gone, he won't get anywhere near him now._

Or so I thought.

X-x-X-x-X

**Somewhere in Agrabah…**

"_Master Koan, I don't really think this is the most intelligent plan you've come up with. Don't you think it might be wiser to be a little more subtle?" Hericles asked nervously, his hands rubbing together in an almost rat-like manner. Koan glared at his subordinate._

"_Shut up fool! I know exactly what I'm doing. This plan is flawless!" The brunette put the finishing touches on his master plan with a flourish of a paint brush and standing back to admire his work. A white van stood on the side of the road, a ladder leaning to one side. Large black letters were painted in shaking writing on the side, adorned with painted rainbow lolly pops._

"_FREE CANDY?" Read Hericles awkwardly, turning to his master. "Sir, I must insist you rethink your plan. This is highly unlikely to work." _

"_Nonsense Hericles, this is a sure-fire plan. No child can resist the lure of free candy. The Nobody child will see this van and instantly be drawn into our midst. To prove how much it works I plan to test it on the hapless citizens of this city. Just you watch, it will work perfectly." Koan seemed so absorbed into his plan. Hericles knew it was useless to try and make his master see sense. Better to encourage his fantasies than to run the risk of being hacked up and forced to regrow his limbs again. Hericles shuddered at the though. The last time he had opposed Koan's wishes the man had put him on the rack and stretched him until his limbs had been torn off completely and then he had to undergo an exceedingly agonizing procedure to grow them back. Have you ever seen a lizard that's lost its tail and had to grow it back again? The second tail isn't as perfect a fit as the original one had been. That was very much the same principle that applied to Hericles. Such was the fate of a scientifically engineered human. _

"_Come along Hericles, see my plan in action." The green eyed fiend said, giggling wickedly. Hericles sighed. Normally his master was a devious mastermind, but there were times where he was a plain nut case. Koan leaned in the window of the van and flicked a switch on the dashboard, dark music emanating from the speakers. A loud crescendo of heavy organs blasted out and Koan quickly flicked the switch off, chuckling nervously._

"_Oops, wrong switch. It must be this one." He flicked another switch and a cheery tune rang out, the tune of 'Mary had a little lamb' to be precise. Hericles rolled his beady eyes, slicking back his straw coloured hair anxiously._

"_I don't think this will work sir.' He muttered. Koan glared at him and then noticed children making their way over, murmuring to each other. Koan flashed his servant an 'I told you so' look of triumph as the children made their way over, climbing into the back of the van._

"_Where did you get this idea sir?" Hericles asked. Koan grinned and fished a DVD case out of his pocket, handing it to his subordinate with a flourish._

"_Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? Really sir?" He asked, disbelieving. Koan nodded proudly._

"_Yes, there is a devious mastermind called the Child Catcher who demised this plan and succeeded in capturing two children with this method. Therefore it must be fool proof." He announced. _

"_HEY! THERE'S NO CANDY IN HERE! THEY'RE LIARS! LET'S GET 'EM!" The children cried from the back of the van, pouring out of the double doors and attacking the two villains ferociously before leaving them. They lay on the ground, beaten and kicked._

"_I think there may be a flaw in your plan master." Hericles croaked weakly. Koan frowned, deep in thought._

"_Yes, I never thought they'd retaliate like that. But we've no need to worry, Xarreko is only a three month old child, he won't yet be able to fight back. We'll lure him in and nab him." The gleam was back in the fiend's eyes as her overcame his flaw. Hericles moaned, facepalming painfully. _

"_I think you're missing a vital detail here master." He suggested nervously, but the older man wasn't listening. He just stood and left to make preparations for his 'brilliant plan'. "The boy can't yet read." Hericles muttered to himself._

X-x-X-x-X

**Back at the Castle that Never Was…**

_Demyx sat on the grandstand that framed the training ring, playing with Xarreko as the boy giggled joyfully. He looked over to where Sirix was sparring with Xigbar, watching as she dodged one of the Sharp Shooter's punches and gracefully landed a blow on the man's torso with a spinning kick that left him winded. _

"_Come on Xiggy, is that all you've got? I thought you would have more in you than a few minutes' worth of sparring." She tormented. The Shooter grinned and lunged at her, startling her as his body weight sent her crashing to the ground._

"_You underestimate me Rixy, you should know better than to do that." He smirked. She flashed him a sly smile and brought her knee up, hitting him painfully in the groin. He groaned and toppled sideways, clutching his groin, pain twisting his features. Sirix smiled._

"_Never leave yourself open like that Xiggy. You're lucky it's only me you're sparring with, not Larxene. I'm being nice here." She teased. Xarreko started giggling again and crawled over to the edge of the barricade, pulling himself up to stand on wobbly legs. His eyes sparkled with amusement as he looked at Xigbar hunched on the ground. Sirix walked over and picked up her son, balancing him on her hip with ease._

"_Hey there mister, what are you doing over here?" She asked playfully, tickling him. He giggled and pulled away from her hands._

"_Causing mischief, no doubt. He is your son after all." Zexion said, striding into the training arena. Sirix smiled._

"_I didn't know you were here." She said, raising an eyebrow. He smiled slightly._

"_I only just arrived. I thought it best to come and check on you. I couldn't have Xigbar causing you too much harm, though I see now I had it the wrong way around." He explained, a faint smile on his face._

"_You shouldn't expect anything less. I mean did you honestly think that someone as predictable as Xigbar could possibly get the upper-hand in a fight against me?" She asked, only half joking. Xigbar strolled over, having recovered from her low attack, looking very offended._

"_Sirix, you wound me! I'm not as predictable as some. I mean seriously, I'm no way near as predictable as Marluxia." Zexion shot him a disbelieving look. _

"_Are you certain about that Braig? You might want to make sure you are positive before we put it to the test." He said with a slight twinkle in his eyes. Xigbar opened his mouth to argue before closing it again, deciding against it. Sirix laughed, shifting Xarreko slightly on her hip. Xigbar eyed the two Nobodies suspiciously._

"_I think you're ganging up on me here. It's been a while since you fought, hasn't it? How about you get out there and train, then we'll see who the weak one is." He goaded, only half joking. Zexion shook his head._

"_Don't be ridiculous Xigbar, if we did that then you would certainly need to be patched up afterwards, and we can't spare the time it would take for that to occur." He brushed off the one eyed man casually. "I merely came out to see how my partner was going." He continued offhandedly. Xigbar snorted._

"_You're just scared. Well if you're worried about hurting me, why not fight Sirix? She's as tough as any of us. Besides, she could use the training." The taller Nobody said, winking at Sirix as she opened her mouth to argue. Before she could get a word in someone else approached. _

"_I agree with Braig. It could prove useful for Sirix to familiarise herself with your technique Ienzo. You never know who she might come up against in the future." Xemnas's powerful voice startled them all as he appeared beside them. Zexion turned to stare at the first member._

"_But superior, it's highly unlikely that any other would possess abilities similar to that of my own." The Cloaked Schemer argued. Xemnas smiled, nodding._

"_It is, but your particular fighting style may be similar to a future enemy, therefore it would be highly beneficial for Sirix to familiarise herself with it." _

I waved my hand in the air just to make sure they all noticed me while they were discussing this idea.

"Uh, hello I am here you know. Shouldn't I get a say in this?" I said loudly, trying to gain their attention. Surprisingly it worked. They turned to look at me, amber and lilac blue orbs boring into my violet ones. I swallowed dryly. Xemnas smiled graciously.

"Of course, how foolish of us. What would _you_ like to do?" He asked me. I shifted my stance slightly, so as to support Xarreko easier and then grinned.

"I wouldn't mind fighting Zexy, unless he's scared of course." I said, watching the heated frustration cross his features.

"What kind of nonsense is that? Like I'd be afraid of fighting you." He argued, his pride wounded. I smiled sweetly and turned to Demyx, handing him Xarreko.

"Right, then you won't mind fighting me. Look after Xarreko please Demyx." I said and pulled a hair tie out of my pocket, pulling my hair up into a pony tail. I undid the zip on my cloak, taking it off and folding it up before letting it hang on the fencing. I summoned Life Weaver and Soul Stealer and smiled at Zexion flirtatiously, standing in the offensive stance in my leather pants and charcoal black singlet. Zexion shook his head.

"This is ridiculous. What point would it prove?" He demanded, clearly looking for a way to worm out of the fight. I shrugged.

"Not everything has to prove a point Zexy, you heard Xemnas. It could be of use for future confrontations." I teased. He sighed but drew his weapon reluctantly.

"I'm not going to enjoy this." He muttered. I smirked and stepped towards him. We circled for a few moments before I lunged forward, kicking his feet out from under him. He landed on the ground with a heavy thud and I almost felt bad for doing it. He picked himself up off the ground and in one fluid motion had opened his Lexicon and launched a defensive shield around me, encasing me in a bubble of what seemed like solidified air. I pushed against it with the palms of my hands but it wouldn't budge. I glared at him.

"That's cheating Zexion, trapping me in a bubble is a cowardice move." I tried to goad him into some form of anger but he merely shrugged.

"I'm merely allowing you to experience all aspects of my abilities. One with an ability such as mine may be likely to use a technique such as this one to protect himself." He said calmly and I poked my tongue out at him.

"You're just a wuss." I tormented and pushed against the seal again. It hardly even wavered. I sighed. This was getting me nowhere. No way in hell was I going to let him win this fight by trapping me in a bubble. I raised Life Weaver, drawing my arm back and then slamming the hilt against the barrier with all my might. I felt the pressure waver and I drew my arm back again, slamming into the barrier with as much force as before. The result was the barrier shattering into tiny pieces and me losing my footing, stumbling slightly before tripping over. I laughed and picked myself up again, dusting off my clothes and looking around to find Zexion. My gaze fell upon the high beams of the roof and spotted him crouched among them.

"You really must be scared of me Zexy, if you're hiding all the way up there. Why won't you fight me like a man?" I called, folding my arms across my chest, both my weapons still clutched in my hands.

"I'm not hiding, and if I was, it wouldn't be so easy to locate me. I merely prefer to remain at a distance to my opponents so I can concentrate without any major interruptions." He defended his honour in the typical Zexion manner and I laughed.

"What kind of example are you setting for Xarreko?" I replied with a smile, glancing over at the side of the area where the child was happily plucking on the strings of Demyx's Sitar. This brief distraction was a mistake because I found myself being target by a number of fizzling electric bolts, only some of which I was able to dodge. I turned back to glare at Zexy again.

"CHEATER! You're such a coward!" I shouted and looked about for a way to climb up to the roof. Then I realised he would have just used a portal. I hefted Soul Stealer in my right hand, pulled my arm back and threw the sword, hearing with some satisfaction the dull thud of the blade embedding itself in the soft wood beside Zexion's head. He looked slightly shocked and I weighed Life Weaver lightly.

"The next one won't be so fortunate." I warned, only half joking. He pulled the sword out of the wood and then let it fall as if it were diseased or something. I glared at him again before moving to pick it up. When I got to the spot where it lay there was a faint buzzing sound and then large strands of purple electricity seemed to form around me, caging me in that area. I pressed the edge of Soul against one ray and it made a loud crackling noise and threw me back into the centre. Zexion dropped down from his position and landed gracefully before me, smiling coolly. I hissed at him.

"You're behaving like a caged animal Sirix, it hardly becomes you." He said causally, an amused gleam in his eyes.

"Says the one that seems to get a kick out of seeing me locked in a cage. Honestly, is locking me up really the only thing you seem to be able to do with your magic book?" I snarled, only half teasing him. I was getting seriously sick of his placing barriers between us. That was no way to fight. He shrugged.

"It amuses me to see your choices limited by a weapon that is only of use at close range. " I bared my teeth at him in a very primal manner, making him laugh.

"Admit it, you are afraid to fight me like a man. You know that I'd slaughter you." I said, mocking him. He smiled and shook his head, his violet coloured fringe swinging slightly with the action.

"My fighting technique is on the defence, not the offense. I prefer to have time to think and calculate my next move. Distance gains me the upper hand. It is my preferred style." He turned away and let the cage dissolve around me. The moment it was clear I launched myself at him, the force of my tackle knocking us both to the ground. I forced him onto his back and held Life Weaver close to his throat. I could feel the blood pulsing through his veins as I held the blade against his skin, my face so close to his that I could make out the tiny beads of perspiration forming on his almost flawless skin. His eyes challenged me as he waited for my next move. Some primal instinct had consumed my body and was telling me to finish it, to soak the ground with his blood, my body pulsing with a thrill but my control was pulling back, telling me to stop. Ever so slowly I released the pressure on my weapon and stood up, my body no longer pinning his to the ground. Zexion stood up and gave me a concerned look as I stood panting slightly, trying to regain control of my body. I couldn't understand the sudden blood lust I had experienced and it scared me.

"Are you okay?" He asked, taking my hand gently. I nodded and forced a smile to cover my thoughts.

"Yeah, I think I'm a little tired. I haven't been training much lately, I guess it's taking its toll. I'm just going to rest for a while. I'll see you later." I said, excusing myself and walking off, feeling confused and troubled.

X-x-X-x-X

"_That was an interesting battle." Vexen said, looking over at where Zexion sat on one of the lab chairs. The slate haired Nobody looked up, surprised._

"_What do you mean?" He asked. Vexen smiled coyly, leaning over his microscope to peer at the blood sample he was examining. _

"_You think I didn't notice how you avoided using any offensive tactics? You may be more of a defence fighter but I know you're capable of taking advantage of the situation. You deliberately used your ability to trap her but once you did, you didn't follow up with anything that could gain you the upper hand once the spell wore off. You held back." Zexion sighed._

"_I didn't want to fight her. I decided that even though I was forced to train with her I wouldn't aim to harm her so I used some of my less aggressive and dangerous approaches." He explained and as he did so Vexen could see a slight temper bubbling over. He knew that if he disagreed then that temper as likely to snap._

"_I understand that Ienzo. It may seem like centuries ago but I know I had feelings once, and now that Sirix is with us I feel that I have them again. I remember what it is like to be faced with the loss of the one you care about. You already suffered losing her once and the idea of having to fight her is something I can only assume I know about." The scientist often surprised Zexion with his sincerity. Sometimes he wondered what motivated him to do the things he did, and now he wondered it again. Vexen smiled at him and seemed to read his mind._

"_It may surprise you to hear me say this Zexion, but I've come to see you all as my family. We are all we've got, and that means Sirix is one of us too. You're all my siblings, and Sirix is your partner. She's important to every one of us Zexion." He said, placing a hand on the shorter man's shoulder. Zexion found himself smiling and then he laughed._

"_If you're not careful you'll begin to sound like Demyx." He warned, lightening the mood. Vexen shuddered but he was laughing too._

"_Don't make me hurt you." He threatened playfully. Zexion rolled his eyes at the scientist._

"_Sometimes it gets hard to tell when you're joking or when you're dead serious." He mused. Vexen merely smiled elusively._

"_And that is why it is always best to tread carefully. In any case, I need to get back to these analyses. I'm hoping to find a way to remove the mark that Koan left on Sirix, and to do that I need absolute solitude." He said, gesturing to the door. Zexion got the hint and walked out the door, turning back briefly._

"_Thank you Vexen." He said sincerely. Vexen simply waved him off, already back into his research. _

_Zexion wandered back along the corridors towards the nursery to check on Xarreko, his mind drifting over the things that Vexen had said. Now that he thought about it he realised they really were family. They had been together so long that they had become the only family they needed. If they were threatened with the loss of a member they would band together to protect them. Wasn't that what a family did? He pushed open the door to the nursery and saw that Xarreko wasn't there. Panic rose in his throat as he thought the worst and rushed into the bedroom to wake Sirix. It was then that he saw the both of them curled up on the bed together, Xarreko with his head resting on Sirix's chest. Sirix had her arms curled around his small body, protecting him from falling or hurting himself. A book lay open beside them and the sight made Zexion smile. He recalled a conversation he and Sirix had a few weeks before Xarreko had been born. Sirix had been worried that she wasn't going to be a good mother and he'd hardly hesitated in assuring her that she was going to be fine. "If anyone is going to screw up it will be me. For some reason it's the women who get the natural talents." He had said, making her smile. He could see now that he was right. She was a natural mother, well Xarreko wasn't complaining in any case._

19


	8. An Unlikely Hero, Trapped And Freed

Alicia Styles Chapter Eight The Fifteenth Member

**Somehow outside the Castle That Never Was…**

"_Master, I do wish you'd rethink this ridiculous plan. I'm telling you it will never work." Hericles tried for the fifteenth time that morning to make Koan see sense, but the man refused to listen. Hericles strongly suspected that his master was going mad. The evil mastermind, __**(if you could even call him that)**__ retaliated by hitting Hericles in the face._

"_Shut your mouth Hericles. It will work. I keep telling you that it is fool-proof." He snapped. Hericles rubbed his jaw painfully and rolled his eyes._

"_You got that right. Only someone utterly delusional could think it would work." He muttered._

"_What did you say?" His master snapped, glaring at him. Hericles shook his head hastily._

"_I said nothing. Let's proceed with the plan shall we?" He managed to avoid punishment that time because Koan was instantly absorbed in the 'brilliancy' of his plan once more. _

_Hericles wasn't sure how long they sat in that stuffy van outside the castle, due to the fact that it conveniently didn't have a clock, but he guessed it was a long time. He couldn't even read the sun, seeing how it was constantly evening. He was drifting into a dreamless sleep when Koan shook him roughly by the elbow, causing him to wake with a start and hit his head painfully on the dashboard. _

"_Hericles you pathetic, snivelling fool, wake up! Someone approaches our trap." The man whispered loudly, breathing heavily. Hericles pulled his arm out of Koan's grasp and wrinkled his nose in disgust. _

"_When was the last time you brushed your teeth master?" He asked, attempting to hold his breath. Koan ignored him, biting his nails in anticipation. The servant sighed and waited in utter boredom, certain it was going to end in failure._

_It was Demyx who was making his way toward the van, lost in thought as he wandered along. If it hadn't been for Kingdom Hearts suddenly coming out from behind a cloud at that moment he probably would have walked straight past the vehicle without noticing it. However it did and so his gaze was attracted by the large, black, poorly stencilled lettering. He laughed, wondering who on earth would be stupid enough to think something like that would work. _

"_Man this dude must be stupid. No one just gives out free candy these days." He said to himself, and started walking away again. He found himself unable to go far due to something pulling on his cloak. He looked back to see that the black leather had gotten caught on a jagged piece of metal on the tailgate of the van. Retracing his steps he grabbed the material and tried to tug it out of the catch, pulling with all his strength but the material wouldn't budge. He gnawed on his lip for a moment, trying to think of how he could get his cloak free. In a brainstorm he took the cloak off and tried again, but still he couldn't pry it free. He then clambered up into the back of the van, hoping that the angle would help him free it. He didn't want to face Xemnas without his cloak, for fear of what the man might do to him. In the front of the van Koan heard the noise and started the vehicle up, putting his foot heavily on the accelerator. The force of the sudden forward lurch caused the material of Demyx's cloak to tear and sent the boy flying, slamming him into the wall that separated the cab from the cargo hold. The van seemed to plummet downwards and then it hit the ground, the force jolting Demyx painfully. The boy cradled his head to protect himself, jumping as the doors slammed shut as they veered around a corner. Then he realised he was being carted off somewhere._

"_They probably don't know I'm in here. I'd better let them know." He said to himself, bravely standing up and banging on the wall behind him with his fists. "HEY LET ME OUT! YOU LOCKED ME UP IN HERE MAN!" He shouted above the roar of the engine but they didn't appear to hear him. He tried again, but got no answer, and then the van stopped. The sound of a door opening and then being slammed shut made its way to Demyx and then footsteps crunching through sand. The door was opened and a flashlight beam was shone in his eyes._

"_And you said it wouldn't work Hericles. I'm telling you we got him." Someone was saying. Demyx vaguely recognised the voice and tried to think who it could be. "Go in and get him." The voice continued. The door opened wider and Hericles climbed in and grabbed Demyx by the arm. _

"_I'm really sorry about this, my master is going insane." He apologised as he pulled the Nobody out into the open. Koan shone the light in Demyx's face, looking at him suspiciously._

"_You don't look anything like you should. You should look more like your parents. You should also be a lot smaller. I guess I altered your DNA too much, made you grow too fast." He mused. Hericles tried to interject and tell him that he was incorrect but he was silenced._

"_Hush Hericles, you speak too much. I'm trying to figure out where my calculations went wrong. Even with his growth sped up drastically he should only be a child at most." Demyx took offense to that comment._

"_Hey! I may act childish sometimes but I'm no kid!" He paused for a moment before continuing. "I can drink alcohol." He finished. Hericles gave him a weird look and pulled Koan aside._

"_Master, this kid isn't Xarreko. He was at the siege of our fortress. He's quite skilled if I remember correctly. He took out more than his fair share of the guards if I remember correctly." The servant said quietly. Koan looked at him strangely, glancing at Demyx._

"_That kid is one of Xemnas's followers? But he's hardly even hit puberty yet." He exclaimed, puzzled. He walked over to Demyx. "You're not Xarreko!" He roared. Demyx gave him a typical teenage 'WTF are you on about' look._

"_Of course I'm not. Do I look like Rixy and Zexy's three month old kid? What do you want with him anyways?" He asked, in typical Demyx fashion. _

"_To train him! To be the greatest weapon of all time!" He exclaimed loudly, reaching his arms high into the air, as if expecting some kind of awesome special effect to occur. Instead a bird flew over him and casually let its 'business' land on his head. Demyx couldn't help but laugh. He looked at Hericles, giving him a confused look._

"_Do you seriously work for this loon? I mean come on, like he could ever capture a three month old kid with a 'free candy' van." He said, mocking Koan in his typical fashion. Koan grabbed him by the arm, lifting him off the ground slightly._

"_What was that you said?" He snarled, his face close to Demyx's. The blonde boy gagged as Koan breathed on him and he kicked him in the chest to get away._

"_Don't you have a toothbrush in your evil lair or something? You're foul!" The teen choked out. Koan glared at him, rubbing his chest._

"_Why you little brat, I ought to skin you alive for that." He threatened, drawing a long knife out of his robes and holding it to Demyx's throat. Demyx raised his hands in surrender, taking a step back._

"_Don't touch me with that man, I don't wanna know where it's been." He warned, apparently more worried about where the knife had come from than the fact that Koan was threatening him._

"_I don't think I'll skin you though, at least, not yet. No I think I'll let them fret about your little disappearance for a while and then let them come rescue you. If they're all out here to save you, then no one will be guarding the castle and I can easily snatch away the baby brat without having to trouble myself with his pathetic mother or father. If I do though, well the girl's of no use anymore. I'll enjoy killing them." He smiled wickedly, as if the thought gave him great pleasure and it was then that Demyx realised who he was._

"_You're the one that kidnapped Rixy! You heartless bastard! How dare you talk about her that way!" His anger was obvious and Koan took pleasure in it._

"_Now now little one, calm down. You're not doing anyone any favours by carrying on like that." His words were mocking and Demyx snarled angrily, summoning Arpeggio and standing on guard. Koan laughed coldly._

"_You think I didn't do my research little Nobody? Your ability is water. Look around, we're in the desert. Where are you going to find water here? I must admit, I didn't plan on capturing you deliberately, though I'm glad it's you and not one of the others, because that means your powers are limited." He said gleefully, boasting his good fortune. Demyx grit his teeth when he realised that Koan was correct. He let Arpeggio disappear, hanging his head, looking at the ground in defeat. Koan smiled._

"_I see that you've been wise and noticed the truth of my words. You can't fight me, I'm the master of this game. Without any water to draw from you can't use your ability." His green eyes glittered with triumph as he gloated. Demyx clenched his fists angrily, still looking at the ground. Slowly he began to peak, raising his head to look at the evil bastard before him with fury in his eyes._

"_That may be true but you forget one thing. I still know how to throw a punch!" He said, launching himself forward and planting a fist firm in Koan's face. There was a sickening yet slightly satisfying crunch as the cartilage in Koan's nose was shattered on impact. Demyx stood back, grimacing as he noticed the blood that had begun to pour from Koan's shattered nose. Koan held his hands to his face, felt the sticky blood cover his skin and looked at them in horror._

"_How dare you! You're as annoying as those pesky heartless, always ruining my appearance. I'll kill you this time boy!" He snarled and reached out his hands to strangle Demyx. The boy was too quick and he dodged the attack, sidestepping him easily._

"_You're too slow old man. You didn't think to train a little more in the last sixteen years before coming after the Nobodies? Damn you're stupid." The blonde boy taunted as Koan faceplanted into the sand. Koan stood up, wiping blond and sand off his face with the sleeve of his robes and glowering at Demyx before charging at him again, fire blazing in his eyes as he swung wildly at him. Demyx dodged each blow easily, before he stumbled backwards on a rock and half fell onto his back. Koan grinned as he saw he could gain the upper hand and reached for him but Demyx kicked him in the shin and ran away, out of his reach. His plan was to get far enough away from these lunatics to contact Xemnas and tell him where Koan was so they could capture him and do whatever it was that they did with evil bastards that were out to kill their friends and kidnap little children. __**(In the real world we put them in jail and they get labelled as murderers with paedophiliac tendencies. However in the World that Never Was, usually they tortured them for information before either killing them quickly or letting Vexen use them for experiments. Vexen usually prefers the latter.) **__However, as is often the case in these kinds of fights, his plan was not to be. Koan was on the hunt now and he wasn't going to let Demyx get away so easily. As Demyx made a break for it Hericles intercepted him and grabbed him tightly. He was surprisingly powerful for a seedy little man and Demyx found himself struggling with him. He finally managed to escape the henchman's vice like grip by forcing an elbow into his stomach. He moved quickly to avoid recapture and skirted around the white panel van to make his escape but didn't get far. There was a grunt of effort from behind him and he turned around just in time to see Koan's overbearing figure land on him, pinning him to the ground. Demyx struggled against his heavy weight, feeling incredibly uncomfortable._

"_Oh my god, get off me!" He exclaimed, trying to get free. When Koan didn't move he beat against the bigger man. "RAPE! HELP HE'S RAPING ME! IT'S RAPE I TELL YOU!" He screamed._

"_I've got you now brat. You're not going to get in the way of my master plan." He snarled. Demyx struggled as Hericles limped over carrying a large steel from the van and attached it to the side of the vehicle. Koan stood up, a hand clasped around the small Nobody's wrist and dragged him to the frame, locking the shackles around his wrists and pulling a case from the van, setting it on a table that Hericles had set up. "I'm going to enjoy this very much. I get to torture and kill you before I siege the castle and kill every pathetic creature there, including your precious '_Rixy_'." He sounded absolutely ecstatic, like he couldn't believe his good fortune. Demyx struggled against the shackles and realised that his wrists weren't actually locked in. Koan had left the key in the first one and had forgotten to close the second one properly. He waited for the most ideal moment when Hericles was in the back of the van and Koan was testing a rather intimidatingly large needle with his back to him before slipping out of the shackles and darting around the other side of the vehicle, slipping into the back to subdue Hericles. He smothered the subordinate with his cloak until he was unconscious, tying him up with some thick rope that he found in the van. _

_Outside, Koan was finished preparing his tools of torture and turned around to gloat again, only to see that the hostage was missing. He was about to call for Hericles and demand what happened when Demyx summoned Arpeggio and struck him from behind, knocking him to the ground. Koan moaned in pain and rolled over to see Demyx standing over him. The blond boy put a foot on Koan's throat and applied pressure so he couldn't speak. _

"_Earlier I said that you forgot one thing. I lied. You forgot a lot of things. Firstly, you should always LOCK the shackles. It usually helps keeping people captured. Second, you wouldn't ever get a chance to even get near Xarreko because we ALL protect him from YOU. And thirdly, I CAN use my ability." He said, pointing at him with Arpeggio. He released the pressure on his throat and moved his foot to rest heavily on his stomach. Koan seemed baffled._

"_How could you? There's no water around in a desert." He managed. Demyx smiled crookedly, a slightly demonic glow in his eyes._

"_You forget yet another thing. Allow me to remind you. I can control ANY body of water, be it an ocean or the moister in the air around us." Koan still seemed to be oblivious so Demyx sighed. "The final bit of information you neglected to remember. The human body is made up of approximately seventy two per cent of water." He raised Arpeggio to reach the strings and as the news hit home for Koan he strummed three chords, three chords that rang out loud and clear and caused the water in Koan's body to boil and react with the melody as he moved under the cover of his cloak. Koan screamed in agony as his body imploded and Demyx waited, hating the sound of the agony. When it was all over he lowered his cloak and surveyed the scene. Koan's blood stained the sand, what was left of his body was scattered around the van. It was then that Demyx noticed the blood on his cloak and dropped it as if it were diseased, shuddering and wanting to be sick. _

_He would have liked to leave then and there but he knew he couldn't leave without searching the van for anything that might be useful. He grimaced, not wanting to go in it. He pondered his predicament before coming up with an answer. If he could get the van to the castle then he wouldn't have to search it or have anything more to do with it. He could report to Xemnas, have a shower and forget all about it, knowing Sirix would be safe. His problem was how to get it there. He couldn't make a portal big enough for the car, and he had no idea how Koan had managed to get them there in the first place. He couldn't leave it there or it might be stolen or destroyed when he got back. He sighed, sinking to the ground, hating his situation and wondering how the hell it all happened. He'd only gone out for some sea salt ice-cream and ended up killing some evil dude. _

"_Woah what happened here?" A loud voice asked, letting out a low whistle. Demyx looked up to see a large blue man with gold bracelets and a funny beard. The man morphed into a check out chick and said in a nasally voice "Clean up on aisle three, we've had a major meat malfunction." Before morphing back into his original form laughing at his own joke. He noticed Demyx and flew in to look at him closer. "Hey what's the matter kid? Do you need some help or something?" He asked. Demyx shrugged, slightly confused._

"_I have to get this stupid van to Xemnas but I have no way to get it there. It's so stupid." He said, kicking the tire angrily. The tire deflated, seeming to prove his point. The stranger thought about this for a moment before smiling._

"_Sounds like quite a predicament you've got there. How about I zap you and this here van to where you need to go. I can get you there easy as pie." He offered, holding out a hand. It seemed too good to be true._

"_You can do that?" Demyx asked, slightly disbelieving. The man grinned._

"_Sure I can, they don't call me the genie for any old reason you know." He said, still smiling._

"_You're a genie? That's AWESOME!" Demyx exclaimed, realising what the genie was offering. Genie laughed._

"_I was last time I checked. Now come on kid, climb aboard and tell me where you want to go."_

X-x-X-x-X

I woke from my sleep feeling really strange, as if I were in a dream. It was like I was looking through a telescope that made things seem further away. I tried to rub my eyes but my arm wouldn't move, it was like my mind wouldn't send messages to my body. I could see Xarreko playing in a small pen at the foot of the bed but it was as if he were far away or I was looking through a glass wall. I was so confused. _What the hell is going on here?_ I thought as I desperately tried to move my limbs. I don't know what I expected but it certainly wasn't to get a reply.** You have been decommissioned. You won't be the one in control of this vessel anymore. It's mine to control.** The voice scared me, it was cold and feminine but it wasn't mine, or if it was, then it was a very evil version. The matter of fact answers were frightening, but I was annoyed. My body was more than a vessel. And who the hell gave this chick the right to take it over. _Now you listen here, I don't know who you think you are but this is MY body, go find your own._ I snapped at the intruder in my head. They laughed. **I'm surprised you don't recognise me. I've been developing almost as long as that little brat you call your son after all. Don't you remember me?** They were mocking me know, I was sure of it. As they spoke I was suddenly slammed back and it was like I'd been zapped into a whole new place. I looked around to see that I was in a room full of shapes and random objects. Stairways climbed the walls but they were impossible. They led to nowhere, archways were upside down, some faded into nothingness. It was like I was in a living optical illusion. _Where am I? _I wondered, looking at the place. Random doors hung in the air impossibly, it really confused me. The voice laughed. **I'm surprised at you. You don't even recognise your own mind. This is what the inside of your head looks like, your thoughts and dreams, hopes and emotions. Everything you are is in here. Even you now. The only thing you can do is be a good little girl and watch as I destroy everything you love, starting with your precious leader.** I noticed that the front of the room faded into nothing, giving me a view of the real world, and I realised this was what my eyes saw. It was like looking at an operation through an observation window. I was detached from it all. I tried to push against the window, tried to get out of this place but a spasm of pain ran through me, causing me to cry out and stumble back. Electric sparks of all colours shimmered before disappearing. A loud chuckle echoed around me. **It isn't that easy Sirix, I suggest that you don't touch it again, you'll only damage yourself. Every time those shocks course through your body a piece of your consciousness will break away. That's you by the way. You don't want to disappear and never get the chance to be in control again do you? I promise you'll get your body back when I'm finished playing, of course you won't have anyone left afterwards.**I wanted to punch this intruder, and slowly I realised what was going on. When I was captured by Koan he had told me how he'd originally planned to use me as his weapon to kill Xemnas. At the time I couldn't figure out what he meant but now I realised. He'd begun the development of a whole new being or consciousness the moment he'd marked me, but I'd been so preoccupied with things that I'd been subconsciously suppressing the growth of it. I contemplated this and then I heard the sound of applauding. _Are you really clapping or is that mental clapping?_ I wondered. **Congratulations Sirix, you've finally figured it out. When you finally started training again you triggered the initiation sequence, allowing me to slowly consume you and control your body. You can call me whatever you want if you'd like. Of course it won't make much difference. I'll still be controlling your body. However I'd like to be referred to as Jon.** I was confused. _Jon's a guy's name. You're quite clearly female._ I pointed out. **I like the name Jon. If you're not careful I'll make you watch while I kill your beloved partner.** Jon threatened, making me angry. I clenched my fists angrily. _DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY FAMILY YOU STUPID WENCH! _I snapped. Jon laughed. **Then don't question my choice of name. You've got quite a temper, I could grow to enjoy your company.** I glared into the empty space before me, not knowing where the consciousness of 'Jon' was. I mean, if I was there than she had to be too right? _Don't get used to it, you're not staying._ I warned her, but this time I got no reply. Before I could have the chance to wonder why that was, I saw the reason. Zexion had entered the bedroom looking weary and bedraggled. I moved closer to my front seat view as he removed his boots and cloak and collapsed on the bed. The urge to touch him was there but I knew that I couldn't make my body listen to me. To my horror I saw Zexion lean in and kiss me, only it wasn't me was it? How many times would I have to stand by and watch as someone impersonated me? _If you so much as touch him again I'll slice you to ribbons with my swords._ I hissed angrily, only to get a laughing reply. **If I didn't then he'd immediately suspect something's up. Consider it a punishment for suppressing me for so long. Now I get to torture you in one of the worst ways possible, by making time with your man.** The voice was taunting and I so wanted to slap this bitch. _I swear if Koan is still around when I get out of this I'm going to kill that prick._ I thought to myself. Luckily for me Jon had gone back to paying attention to controlling my body and so she didn't hear my murderous thoughts.

"An exhausting mission I'm guessing?" She was saying, in a voice that sounded almost exactly like mine, only the tone was wrong. She was trying to sound too innocent, too sweet. Apparently Zexion didn't notice. He nodded, lying on his back and staring at the white ceiling.

"The worst, Xemnas sent me to Agrabah to investigate some strange occurrences that had developed in the last week. He thought it could be Heartless at work." He explained. Jon shifted my body so that she was facing him, leaning on her elbow.

"Was it the heartless that made it so exhausting?" She asked. He shook his head.

"No, that wasn't the worst part. I had to interrogate some of the locals and it turns out the group of women I started with belonged to a brothel. I was lucky to make it out with all my clothes. Those women were like vultures." He shuddered at the memory and I longed to be in control of myself again. I beat my fist against the barrier, the electric currents sizzling through my body. I knew the creation of my physical form in my mind was simply a mind trick but it seemed real enough to me. Apparently it was fairly real for Jon too because she suddenly put a hand to her forehead in pain and muttered a curse word. Zexion immediately assumed something was wrong and place a hand on her arm.

"Are you okay?" He asked. She smiled at him the way I would and nodded.

"Just a migraine. Nothing a few pain killers won't fix." She said it casually and though he frowned Zexion said nothing against it.

"I spoke to Xemnas earlier and he said something about needing to see you too, I think it is urgent." He said instead. She gave him a puzzled look but stood up anyway.

"Okay, I'd better go see what's up. I'll see you later. Have some rest, I'll take Arrow to Demyx for a bit." She said, getting the name wrong. Zexion frowned.

"Xarreko." He corrected her. She shot him a confused look after picking Xarreko up out of his playpen.

"What?" Zexion's frown deepened.

"Xarreko, that's his name." He said again. She gave him a blank look.

"Yeah, I know that." She said before walking out of the room to find Demyx. I facepalmed, groaning. _How the hell could you get his name wrong? Have you not been paying attention for the last three months? Honestly for someone who doesn't want to be discovered yet you certainly know how to make it obvious._ I said to her. **What are you trying to help me now? Honestly I thought you'd be glad of every slipup I make.** She replied in a slightly bitchy tone. I shrugged. _If you're going to impersonate me then you might as well get it right._ **Whatever, you're so annoying sometimes. I'm going to go see your precious leader now and find out what he wants, then I might go and destroy a few buildings just to get the hang of it.** She laughed coldly as she said this and once again I had the urge to punch her. All I could do though was to sit back and watch as she went to Xemnas's office, forgetting that she still had Xarreko in her arms.

Xemnas and Demyx were in the office when we got there. I say 'we' because technically it was both of us. I wandered what was wrong. Xemnas looked up and gave me/Jon a smile.

"Ah Sirix, I'm glad you came so quickly. Demyx has just delivered some incredibly intriguing news that I felt you might want to hear. Demyx why don't you start from the beginning?" He suggested. The younger Nobody looked surprised but he nodded.

"Well I was going to get some sea salt ice-cream and there was this weird white van parked out the front of the castle. Someone had written 'free candy' on the side and I thought it was really stupid so I kept walking but my cloak got caught and I couldn't get it out so I climbed into the back to see if I could free it and the driver hit the gas and drove off with me in the back. When we stopped they opened the door and started ranting about how I wasn't Xarry and how they were gonna come here and kidnap him. Then he said he'd kill you and I realised he was Koan. I got really angry and punched him in the face, which broke his nose and then he got really really mad and tried to hurt me so I ran away to try and contact you guys but his servant caught me and wouldn't let me go. That guy is actually really strong, though he doesn't look it." He seemed to lose concentration as he marvelled over Hericles' strength and Xemnas had to clear his throat to get the boy's attention.

"Continue please Demyx." Demyx nodded again, blushing sheepishly.

"Right sorry. Well his servant dude grabbed me but I elbowed him and got away again and then Koan tackled me and I was all like 'oh my god rape' and then they locked me to some weird frame thing and were gonna torture me to death but Koan was an idiot and forgot to take the key out of one shackle thing and didn't even lock the other one so I got out and then subdued whatshisname and took out Koan. I'm not proud of what I did but I had no choice, I utilised the water in his body to destroy him." He looked tenaciously at us and Jon dropped to her knees, shock on her face as she began to shake. Xarreko crawled onto the floor, looking slightly frightened and my hatred boiled over. How dare she scare my baby like that! Demyx put a hand on her shoulder, concern on his face.

"Rixy are you okay?" He asked. She looked up and there were tears in her eyes, I could see them in the bottom of my 'screen'.

"I'm fine, just a little shocked. I thought I'd be able to tell if he was destroyed. I never thought that I wouldn't be the one to destroy him." Mimicking what she thought I would do in that situation, Jon hugged Demyx tightly. "Thank you Demyx, thank you so much." She said before releasing him. She stood up and turned to Xemnas. "I need to let Zexion know," She then looked to Demyx again. "Can I leave Xarreko with you?" He nodded and she walked out, clenching her fists angrily. I could sense the anger inside her spirit and I was worried. If she did something here then someone could get injured. I was still recovering from the shock of Demyx's news. Koan was dead, he wouldn't be coming after us anymore. Everything was going to be okay. Surely if he was gone then I would be able to reclaim my body. I decided to try my luck with convincing Jon to let me reclaim my body. _With Koan gone you don't need to follow his orders anymore, you don't need to destroy the organization, you can let me have my body back and I'll find a way to set you free._ I began. **You idiot! Now that my master's dead I need to destroy your organization for my own purposes! They killed my master and they will pay the price! I'll make them suffer!** Her words were full of pain and anguish and I suddenly wondered how much she cared for Koan. She opened a corridor and walked through it, her anger boiling. I could tell she was full of hatred because as we travelled everything in my mental room began to shake and burn. Three large balls of flame seemed to float around the room and I realised they were her hatred. I recalled her mentioning that this was where all the thoughts and emotions were kept and that would mean the physical representations would be fairly self-explanatory. We came out into the main square of Hollow Bastian and I knew right away this was not a good idea. I tried to get her to rethink her choice. _Jon, please you've got to stop. You don't want to do this, just rethink your actions._ I pleaded but she didn't listen. Instead she pulled a lighter out of her pocket and lit the curtains of a nearby house on fire. She then went around destroying the buildings in any way she could, breaking windows, kicking down doors and lighting any flammable objects without hesitation. She let out a scream of anguish before she began laughing like a madman. Women screamed, children cried and the men tried to douse the fire of their homes. Jon just laughed and laughed and continued to ravish the town. She found a pub and stole someone's spirits, filling her mouth with the liquid and creating a human flamethrower, breathing fire all around the bar. The customers fled and the barman tried to put out the flames, yelling at Jon but she didn't listen, just as she hadn't listen to my pleading. He pain was deep, and I tried to stop her again, trying to reason, pleading and even throwing my entire body against the walls of this holding cell. Nothing had an effect. She had gone mad with rage and nothing could stop her. She strode out of the burning building and found herself confronted by a tall, overbearing man with long silver hair and blue eyes with pupils like a cat's. An enormously long sword hung by his side and his hand rested on the hilt.

"Who are you?" Jon demanded. The man smiled grimly.

"I am Sephiroth, and you appear to be in the middle of destroying my town." He said in a powerful voice. Jon rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, so fucking what? Get out of my way, I've got more buildings to destroy before I go and kill a bunch of people." She snarled. Sephiroth drew his weapon and stood in an offensive stance.

"I won't let you do that. Fight me unless you are a coward. Either way, tonight you meet your end." He said. Jon just scoffed at him.

"What, are you compensating for something with that sword? I don't have time to spend fighting you." She said in an insulting tone. Sephiroth glowered at her before lunging with his weapon towards us. I couldn't help but feel that she had a death wish. I knew we were going to die and she was just provoking him. _STOP IT YOU IDIOT! YOU'RE GOING TO GET US KILLED!_ I screamed at her as she only just managed to avoid having her lungs pierced with the blade. The sword sliced through the flesh on my arm and I felt the pain as if I were the one in control of my body. I knew then that my connection with it hadn't been severed. If I could just find a way to make her vulnerable then I could reclaim my body. She hardly seemed to notice the cut. She continued to dance out of the way of Sephiroth's attacks, which astounded me. He was fast and she was only just dodging the blows but my body was getting peppered with narrow slices. I knew that if we didn't get out of there then we were screwed. He was gaining power and we were losing it. _Just get out of there Jon._ I snapped but she laughed. **Are you kidding me? This is the most fun I've had all day! I'm not giving up yet.** So saying she managed to get excruciatingly close to Sephiroth and almost didn't manage to dodge his attack. He pushed her down, my body slamming on the ground painfully. I gasped as the pain reverberated through my being.

"Now you'll die little girl." He said and raised his sword for the final blow. That was when a long chain of glowing metal wrapped around my body and pulled me out of the way.

"Sorry about that Sephiroth, you'll have to forgive her, she hasn't been feeling herself lately." I recognised Xemnas's voice and Jon turned to see that he wasn't the only one there. Zexion, Vexen, Demyx and Saix stood behind him, Zexion holding the chain that seemed to be coming from the pages of his Lexicon. Sephiroth lowered his weapon.

"Tell me why I shouldn't just kill you all right here and now." He snarled. Xemnas shrugged.

"I can give you no valid reason but I assure this massacre of your homes was not a plan of our design. This girl has been taken over by an alter ego of sorts, designed by an enemy of ours named Koan. Fortunately that enemy has since been destroyed but we have only just learnt of this new dilemma. We'd greatly appreciate it if you'd just let us get back to our business. Demyx will put out the flames and we shall go on our way." He explained, gesturing to Demyx. The Nobody nodded and summoned Arpeggio, strumming a slight tune on the sitar and causing water to pour over the burning buildings. Jon was struggling against the chains, screaming at Zexion, telling him to let her go. He ignored her threats, and caused the bonds to tighten instead.

"I won't forgive you for attempting to destroy my partner's body. I promise you that we will get her back and you _will_ suffer greatly."

X-x-X-x-X

"_I can't believe that bastard Koan did this to Sirix. She didn't even know it was happening to her." Zexion said, pacing Vexen's lab, ignoring the cries and threats from the holding cage they'd placed Jon/Sirix in. Vexen sighed, looking up from the journal they had found in Koan's van._

"_None of us knew it, his knowledge in science was astounding for a madman. Don't worry, we'll find a way to get Sirix back." He promised. Zexion didn't stop his pacing, he just looked at Vexen._

"_If she's even still alive. I don't think it's even possible for two beings to reside in a single vessel. There's no proof to support the theory."_

"_There's no proof to suggest otherwise either. Ienzo you need to calm down. I'm sure there's a way to reverse this we just have to find it. I've been reading through Koan's notes and he mentions previous tests on subjects that have failed due to exposure to a positive energy source. They were in early stages of development and were only minor souls. Perhaps if we tried the same exposure we could in fact save Sirix." _

"_Or we could kill her by accident. I don't like this at all. Besides, this has gone beyond the early stages of development. Sirix's body is completely consumed by this entity. If it even was possible we'd need an enormous amount of energy and there's nothing that produces that much. I'm terrified that we won't be able to save her and if that's the case, then we will have to kill her. I couldn't do that." He said, the pain in his eyes matching the pain he was sure that Sirix would be feeling. They had treated the wounds that Sirix had sustained during the jaunt with Sephiroth but they were nothing compared to what Sirix was really feeling, in her very core. They had no idea that she was slowly losing hope, and if that happened she would lose the will to exist. She needed to want to be in control if there was any chance of her regaining her body. Vexen stood up and placed a hand on Zexion's shoulder, the only form of contact the two ever shared but the kind that spoke of brotherhood and trust._

"_I promise we'll save her. Why don't you go get some rest, spend time with your son and leave me to figure this out? You can do nothing for her if you're fretting." He said, the stern tone of his voice warning Zexion not to argue. The slate haired Nobody sighed, nodding._

"_You're right. I'll see you later then. If there's any news I want to know straight away." He said, reluctantly giving in. Vexen smiled._

"_You'll be the first, after myself of course. Now go before I have to lock you in a cage as well." He warned, only half joking. Zexion laughed hollowly and left, leaving Vexen to find a way to reverse the process that had caused this drastic turn of events. He walked over to the cage, folding his arms across his chest._

"_Why won't you let Sirix go?" He asked Jon. She bared her teeth at him and rattled the bars of the cage._

"_I vowed to get revenge. You're all pathetic. There's no way to remove me from this body and you're fools for thinking otherwise." She spat. He smiled coldly._

"_Then I guess we'll be doing this the hard way. I do enjoy a challenge."_

X-x-X-x-X

I sat on one of the staircases in my mind slowly losing hope of being free. I'd been watching Vexen work tirelessly for days and every day I grew less hopeful. With every book Vexen threw on the ground, every paper he balled up and threw away I felt that this was hopeless. She had full control, Koan had made her to be dominant, there was no way to drive her out. I started to pace the stairs, trying to think of a weakness. When would she be most vulnerable? **If you're thinking about trying to overpower me you'd better forget it. I'm not leaving your body. They're going to realise they can't separate us and then they'll kill us both. You're precious family will slaughter you like a dog. What do you think of that for loyalty?** She sneered. I bit my lip angrily. _You're wrong! You don't know anything! Why do you stay hidden, are you scared to face me? If you're so certain that you're more powerful then why won't you show me what you look like?_ I demanded furiously. She laughed. **If that's what you want then I suppose I can reveal myself to you.** There was a sudden feeling of pressure, like someone had stuck us in a vacuum and then it was gone and standing before me was something that shocked me completely. The form that stood before me looked like my father. He had the same violet eyes, the same brown hair flecked with grey , the same tanned and scarred skin. He even wore the same faded jeans and denim work shirt as my father. But I knew it couldn't be.

"What are you trying to prove?" I demanded. Jon smiled cynically, distorting my father's features.

"What's the matter? Don't you like this form? I thought you would want someone you could relate to. No? Perhaps a more current one then." Suddenly the man before me shifted to be a copy of Zexion. Jon laughed. "How's this then? Do I make you want to hug me? I bet you're longing to be with him again." She said in Zexion's voice. It was difficult to remind myself that she wasn't him. I said nothing. She pouted. "Not this one either? Hmmm how about someone you hate then? Ooh I know, what about Larxene?" She shifted into the form of the Nymph, smiling coyly. I still refused to speak, refusing to be goaded by her. She sighed, annoyed.

"You're really no fun you know that? You call me out here and then you don't talk to me. It's so annoying. Clearly you don't like my shifting skills. Oh well." She said, sitting on a step.

"Maybe if you showed me you're real form instead of playing dress up then I might be bothered to speak to you." I suggested. Jon smiled.

"You're absolutely right! Okay!" She stood up and shifted into the form of a sixteen year old girl. She had long brown hair with a single streak of fiery red on the right side of her fringe, dark eyes the colour of onyx that seemed to shimmer with red flames and she was short in stature, approximately my height. Her clothes consisted of a set of crimson coloured leather pants and a matching low cut leather top that was cut above her waist to show off a pierced navel with a crimson stone. Her nails were long and painted black. She gave me a toothy smile and I saw that she had rather pointed teeth. "Hi, I'm Jon, or Joanna, but I like Jon better." She said in a cheerfully sadistic voice, or was it a sadistically cheerful voice? Either way, she unnerved me.

"What are you?" I demanded. She studied her nails before smiling again.

"I'm a Darkling, duh. Only Darklings can be transferred into a vessel that already houses a being. We're creatures of destruction and hatred, the perfect weapons really. We thrive on the pain of others, and when we're suppressed we get really vicious. We Darklings used to be abundant, we thrived anywhere that there was pain, suffering and betrayal, but then those stupid heartless came into the picture and destroyed many of us. Koan found us and saved our species, so we offered our services to him. Then Xemnas came in and wiped us all out, only us younglings were left. When Koan came back, we'd all gone our separate ways to try and survive. He found a few of us and told us his master plan. I volunteered to be your personal Darkling." She explained, her eyes blazing, shifting between red and black as she spoke.

"So that's why you volunteered? To get revenge for your people?" I asked, slightly angry. "You would seriously destroy the hopes and dreams of innocent people just for revenge? Why would you want to do to my family what was done to yours if you know the pain it causes?" My voice was thick with emotion and I could see emotion boiling up in her features too.

"Because that bastard took mine from me so I want him to feel my pain! I want him to suffer the way I did, the way I still am. I want him to know the anguish that my people have gone through each and every minute of the day." Her words burned with hatred and I almost felt sorry for her, before I remembered that the bitch was planning on slaughtering my family.

"That doesn't give you the right to hurt my family! I want you out of my body right now!" I said, my temper flaring as I shoved her painfully into the wall. She clutched at my throat, nails digging in and I kneed her in the stomach to get her to let go.

"Not gonna happen." She hissed, aiming a punch at my face. I dodged and grabbed her by the arm.

"I wonder what would happen if I were to push you against the barrier. Would you start to diminish?" I asked, murderous intent in my words. I was not playing around anymore. I was going to end this here and now. I pulled her towards the barrier but she just smirked and vanished out of my grip. Her laughter echoed around me and I could hear her voice again. **I'm going to enjoy making you watch while I kill your precious organization one by one.**

X-x-X-x-X

_The days were passing slowly for the inhabitants of the Castle that Never Was. Everyone could feel the tension in the air. After the first day those who hadn't been present for the Sephiroth incident could tell something was wrong. Vexen had sealed himself in his lab for days now and refused to come out, even for meals. Zexion had gone back to frequenting the library, preferring solitude to the questioning gazes of the other members of the organization. Xarreko even seemed to sense that something was wrong. He wasn't as bubbly as he normally was, he wouldn't play with his toys, he hardly even spent time with any of the other Nobodies, in fact if Zexion left him with Demyx or someone then he would cry until Zexion gave in and took him with him. Xemnas tried to keep things as normal as possible, still sending them on missions but even he had trouble focusing. Everyone was worried about Sirix and what was to come. They thought it was over when Koan was defeated but that wasn't the case. _

"_We could always sacrifice her to the heartless." Larxene suggested as they all sat in the grey room discussing possible outcomes for Sirix's future. As the others began to protest she tried to explain her reasoning. "No you have to listen to me for a minute here. Heartless devour the souls right, so if they were to devour the one in control of Sirix's body then it'd be over." She explained. Axel shook his head._

"_It wouldn't work Larxy, Heartless don't stop at one, they'd take both Sirix and the other one. I think we should try to extract the soul some other way."_

"_Does anyone else find it ironic that the only person who could probably extract the soul without the prospect of damaging herself is Sirix?" Xigbar asked, the others nodding in agreement, murmuring random sounds like people do when agreeing with someone._

"_I'm sure Vexen will figure something out. I hope he does soon though, because it can't be healthy for him to be locked up in there for so long." Xaldin said, earning his own round of murmurs of agreement. _

"_How long is he planning to stay in there do you think?" Roxas asked, a sliver of concern in his voice. He was meant to be solving some random puzzle that Demyx had screwed up but he wasn't really paying attention to it. Xaldin shrugged._

"_As long as it takes him to figure out a way to save Rixy I guess." He said, looking out the window at Kingdom Hearts. The moon seemed to be mocking them in a way. Its soft glow made it seem like it was gloating, like it knew something they didn't. _

_Upstairs in the library Zexion sat with Xarreko resting on his knee, a book open on his lap. He wasn't even sure what book it was. Xarreko was turning the pages slowly, looking at the pictures randomly. He stopped at a picture of three people, a man, a woman and a young boy. It was one of those children's books judging from the cartoonish drawings. Xarreko placed a hand on the woman and looked to Zexion, his big violet eyes all soft and confused._

"_Mum?" He asked, his voice gentle and seeming puzzled. Zexion hugged the little boy to him gently._

"_She's going to be with us soon I promise." He said, not quite reassured by his own words. The sound of footsteps entering the library caused Zexion to turn and see Vexen. The scientist had dark circles under his eyes and seemed thinner than usual. His normally vibrant green eyes seemed dulled and he had a downcast look on his face. Zexion stood up, placing Xarreko on the seat and moving over to Vexen. "Have you found something?" He asked, almost too scared to hope. Vexen shook his head._

"_I've been trying to think of a way to utilise the knowledge we obtained from Koan's notes about the exposure to a powerful energy source but I just can't think of what kind of equipment would have that much power. Nothing I have in my lab can generate enough power to drive out the entity, and even if I did I don't think it would be the right energy source." He looked out of the window at Kingdom Hearts and sighed. "It's times like this that I wish we were simply trying to obtain our hearts again." He said in a slightly defeated voice. Zexion nodded._

"_If only it were as simple as that seemed. We are chasing our tails trying to gain our hearts back by filling a moon, yet we don't even know it will work. I mean sure we've done tests to prove that it has powerful abilities but how do we know it can give us what we want?" Zexion said, seeming to lose hope. "I don't want to keep trying to gain my heart back unless I have someone to give it to. I know it sounds incredibly cliché but Sirix has become my reason for being." He said. Vexen nodded in understanding and then slowly the life came back into his face as he had an epiphany. _

"_Of course! Why didn't I think of it before now? Surely if Kingdom Hearts has the power to return our hearts to us then it would certainly be able generate enough energy to draw the other soul from Sirix's body, allowing her to reclaim her body." His green eyes seemed to glitter as ideas started forming in his mind. He moved to the reading table where a pad and pen had been discarded after a few rounds of noughts and crosses, probably by Axel and Roxas, and began scribbling notes. "If we can get this other entity to draw upon its powers and expose itself to Kingdom Hearts then it should be absorbed and Sirix will be freed. And seeing how the whole intent of this exploit was to destroy Xemnas I think we have the perfect lure." He exchanged an excited look with Zexion and the two men knew they were close to the end of the problem. Now to let the others in on the plan and get Sirix to the Alter of Nought. _

X-x-X-x-X

_Kingdom Hearts bathed everything in its soft silvery glow, shining down on the trio of Nobodies as they approached the Alter of Nought with an unconscious Sirix between them. They had sedated the girl so that it would be easier to transport her without her taking advantage of being released and ruining their plan. As they rested her on the alter Zexion sighed, his worries consuming him slowly. If this didn't work it could mean the end of Sirix. They could only hope that Vexen's calculations were correct. _

"_Time to wake her up." Vexen said and Zexion nodded, injecting a small vial of clear liquid into her arm and stepping back as they waited for the drug to take effect. The scientist looked to Xemnas who nodded at them and Zexion cast an illusion about them to make it seem like there was only Xemnas there. Slowly the girl came to, sitting up and looking around to see where she was. Then her eyes fell upon Xemnas and her confused and slightly intrigued look became one of anger._

"_Where the hell am I and what are you doing here?" She snarled. He smiled pleasantly, tucking his hands into his pockets casually._

"_I thought I'd do us all a favour and dispose of you, you weren't meant to wake up yet though. But I don't mind, I can kill you while you're awake." He spoke in a slightly icy tone, just as they'd agreed on. Jon glared at him before laughing coldly._

"_You wouldn't do that, you'd kill your precious Thread Weaver. You wouldn't risk your own subordinate like that." She sneered. He smiled coldly, shrugging casually._

"_I don't really care about Fifteen. She's just another casualty. I'm sure she'd understand." He said, surprising Jon. The girl's jaw dropped for a moment before she stood up._

"_You really are a heartless bastard. You saved her all those years ago only to kill her tonight?" Xemnas laughed._

"_Yes, I am heartless, that's why I brought you here. You see, the body you're residing in has a heart. I can kill you and regain my heart all in one go. That's the reason she was kept here after all. I just needed an excuse to put my plan into action. I couldn't just sacrifice Sirix without a valid reason, particularly once she and Ienzo became involved, it would cause a riot. But then you took over her body and Even couldn't find a way to remove you without harming Sirix. It made my task so much easier. Now I can just say you attacked me and I defended myself, no one will know the truth. Of course, they will wonder why we were up here but I'm sure I can think of something. With our hearts retained they won't put too much thought into it." Jon glared at the silver haired man, clenching her fists furiously._

"_You won't get the chance to weave your web of lies Nobody, because I'll kill you first!" She shouted, launching herself at Xemnas, just as he had expected. She had summoned Sirix's weapons as she launched, and Xemnas had summoned his, the blades clashing. He noticed that the length of the weapons had become infused with a deep crimson pattern along the blade and hilt, seeming to drip off the blade and evaporate into mist. The weapons had been tainted by the Darkling's presence in Sirix's body, its very essence causing the darkness to be absorbed by the twin swords. _

"_Do you really think you can fight me in that pathetic way? You're hardly even using your full power, it will take a lot more to defeat me." Xemnas scoffed and to prove his point he broke out of the sword lock easily and pushed her backwards, slicing her skin sharply. He regretted having to harm Sirix's body but it was the only way to provoke the girl properly. Jon let out an angry snarl and attacked Xemnas in a flurry of attacks, but he blocked every one of them and launched an attack of his own. He narrowly missed Sirix's shoulder as Jon dodged the attack at the last minute. She drew on her power to launch another attack at him but as she did she felt a draining sensation, like something was absorbing her power. She looked confused but kept drawing on her power, trying to get enough to make her attack. For some reason that she couldn't comprehend the more power she tried to access, the weaker she felt. And then she felt as though something was pulling on her soul, tugging at her. She looked panicked now._

"_What have you done to me? What's happening?" She demanded as Xemnas let his weapons disappear and stood smiling._

"_I didn't do anything. You did this yourself, by drawing on your full strength to attack me. Kingdom Hearts is absorbing your soul." Xemnas said calmly. As she struggled to understand this information Zexion let the illusion drop and revealed Vexen and himself to Jon. _

"_How is this possible!" Jon exclaimed, her eyes wide with fear. Vexen gave her one of his mad scientist smiles._

"_You have Koan to thank for this. He wrote about it in his journal. Exposure to a pure and exceedingly powerful energy source would cause your soul to be absorbed and you would lose your hold on the vessel you resided in. He was kind enough to write all about his experimentations with Darklings in his journal, something that, had he still been alive, would most likely have led to his downfall." Vexen explained all of this with his eyes gleaming like a child at Christmas, clearly ecstatic that his idea had worked. Jon felt the last of her grip slipping and then with an agonizing scream she was pulled out of Sirix's body and absorbed by the moon. _

"_Give Koan our best." Xemnas called after her. _

X-x-X-x-X

I woke up in Zexion's room to see that everything was in boxes. His bookshelves were bare and the room had a desolate feel to it, causing me to panic. The draws were open and empty, only the bed remained in the same condition. I sat up slowly and rubbed my eyes, before realising with a shock that I could move my body again. Did that mean that Joanna had gone? I heard the click of a door and looked over to see Zexion carrying a large box. He saw me and moved over to my side, putting the box on the bed and pulling me into a hug.

"You're awake, thank the mother of darkness. Vexen said you'd be okay but we weren't sure." He said, kissing me. I was a little confused.

"What's with all the boxes, and where's Xarreko?" I asked, a little panicked again. There was a rustle in the box on the bed and suddenly the box flew open and something jumped out.

"BOO!" Xarreko shouted, crawling onto my lap and grinning at me, giggling. I let out a sigh of relief and saw that even Zexion was smiling.

"We're moving." Zexion said with a smile that surprised me.

"Moving? Why?" I asked, as Xarreko snuggled into my lap.

"We got our hearts back, thanks to the darkling." He said, surprising me even more.

"Jon did that? But how?"

"When Kingdom Hearts absorbed her essence it was no longer empty. The essence of the darkling was powerful enough to fill the moon and give us our hearts. We're all packing up and moving out, except Xemnas I think. He wants to keep this place as a reminder of our journey." He explained. I couldn't believe it. They'd finally got their hearts back, and we were all okay. I was in absolute shock. Xarreko giggled again and bounced on my lap.

"Mummy, bounce me!" He said in that way that little kids have when they're not too irritating and so damn adorable. I gave Zexion a quizzical look.

"When did he learn to talk?" I asked, confused. He just shrugged.

"He's a quick learner, and he's our kid, of course he's going to be smarter than your average three and a half month old kid." I simply nodded, a little overwhelmed by it all.

"So we're actually leaving? But where are we going to go? And what about the others? Will we all stay together or-" My questions were cut short by Zexion kissing me.

"You ask too many questions. How about you just help me pack these books away?" He said, stopping me from asking more questions. I nodded, a little dumbfounded by it all. We were leaving and it might just be the beginning of something amazing.

17


End file.
